History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

The original capital of the bank was 875,000, of which amount but seventy per cent, was called in until June 20, 1830, when ten i)er cent, was called for, payable Aug. 1, 1830, ten per cent. Oct. 1, 1830, and ten per cent. March 1, 1850. In 1851 it was voted to prosecute a petition for an addition to the capital stock of the bank at the next session of the Legislature of the State, which does not seem to have been granted; but in .June, 1854, we find theysuccessfuUy prosecuted tile petition, and the capi- tal stock was made up to S200,(l00,— the Wooster Bank having been merged into the Danbury Bank at that time, — and in June, 1857, itw-as again increased $100,- ; 000, so that its chartered cai>ital jiaid in at that time 1 (1857) was 8300,000, whicli, with tlie funds belonging to ! ecclesiastical societies, wliich all became stock in the i Banbury National Bank in 1805, was 8327,000, at I which figvire (July, 1880) it remains. The surplus of the bank is $73,000, thus making its capital and surplus 8400,000, July, 1880. The average dividend paid by the branch l>ank is not known, as all dividends were declared at Xorwalk by the mother-bank. The average dividen<l declared by the Danbury Bank from 1844, when it was char- tered, to April, 1805, when it became a national bank, , was 81%'jj per cent, per annum and one extra dividend ; of llj per cent., or, in all, SiVcr per year. From 1865, when it became a national bank, until Julv, 1880, the average dividend has been lljIjV i)er cent. i)er annum. The first board of directoi-s of the Danbury Na- tional Bank was : Lucius P. Hoyt, President ; (Oliver Stone, Lyman Keeler, Roger AveriU, George Starr, George Hall, Samuel C. Wihlman, Frederick S. 'Wild- man, David P. Nichols; Jabez Amsbury, Cashier; Robert Hoyt, Teller. Its present officers arc Luciu.s P. Hoyt, President; Directors, Lucius P. Hoyt, Roger Averill, (Jeorge Hull, Wm. K. White, George Starr, Samuel A. Rundle, David P. Nichols, Henry T. Hoyt, of Danbury, and Henry S. Peck, of Brookfield, Charles H. Merritt having also been a director fir two years since its being a national bank ; Jabez Am.-.bury, Cashier; (ieorge H. AViiliams, Teller. The present banking-house was erected during the fall of the year 1855, and the business of the bank commenced to be done in the new bank Jan. 10, 1856. The building committee was Edgar S. Tweedy, Ly- man Keeler, and George PIull, and the structure was built from plans made by I\Ir. Austin, of New Haven, who had a short time Itefore planned the building known as the Wooster House. PAVIXCiS n.\NK.S. T/ic Snvii>f/s Bank of Panhiinj was incorporated June 25, 1840, and the tbllowing were the first ofiicers and directors: Frederick S. Wilduuin, President; Eli T. Hoyt, John Irwin, Vice-Presidents; George W. Ives, David P. Nichols, Lucius P. Hoyt, Aaron Seeley, ISIathew Seeley, Jr., Edgar J. Tweedy, Directors ; Henry Benedict, George W. Ives, Secretary and Treasurer. William Jabine was elected secretary and treasurer March 30, 1801, and Henry C. Ryder, the present incumbent, -Vug. 1, 1873. The first diqiosit was made by Reuben Booth Pearce, July 14, 1841), of 825. Present amount of deposits, 81,71)0,640.08. The present officers and directors are as fidlows: Frederick S. Wildman, President (Mr. Wildnuin has been president of the bank since its organization); E. S. Tweedy, William II. White, Vice-Presidents; Roger Averill, John W. Bacon, George Raymond, George Starr, William Jabine, Lynum D. Brewster, Henry C. Ryder, Directors ; Henry C. Ryder, Secre- tary and Treasurer; George B. Benjamin, Jr., Teller. Tlir Union iSiivini/s linnl: of DunJuirij was incorjio- rated in June, 1806. The fdlowing is the list of the original incorporators: John Shethar, Secretary; Charles Hull, Martin H. Griffing, Samuel C. Hidlcy, Almon Judd, Lucius H. Boughton. Elijah Sturtevant, William H. Clark, Amos N. Stebbins, James Bald- win, William S. Peck, James S. Taylor, tleorge C. White, Norman Hodge, Orrin Benedict, Alfred A. Heath, Francis H. Austin, William F. Taylor, Levi Osborn. James S. Taylor was elected president, and Charles Hull vice-president, but declined, and Mar- tin H. Griffing was elected instead. First trustees: William S. Peck, F. H. Austin, A. N. Stebbins, W. F. Taylor, John Sliethar, Samuel C. Holley, Lucius H. 234 HISTORY OF FATT!FTKLD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. Boughton; W. F. Olnistead, Treasurer and Secre- tary. AV. F. Olmstead continued as secretary and treas- urer until 1873, when L. P. Trcadwcll was elected, and has been re-elected up to the present time. Sam- uel Stebbins was also re-elected president, and con- tinued to 1873, when S. C. Holley was elected, and is the present incumbent. The first deposit was made by Mrs. Margaret Popper, of Sherman, on .July 23, 18(50, of S140. The deposit-s during the first year amounted to $32,200, and now aggregate about S43o,000. The present corporators are M. H. Grifling, F. H. Austin, Henry Crofut, Samuel C. Holley, A. A. Heath, Norman Hodge, William F. Taylor, William H. Clark, Almon Juild, .lames Baldwin, William (}. Street, E. P. Bennett, M.D., William C. Bennett, M.D., Wil- liam J. Rider, George E. Ryder, F. A. Hull, C. H. Merritt, Luman L. Hubbell, A. T. Cla.son, M.D., James B. Wildman, D. G. Penfield, Ed. M. Baldwin, L. P. Treadwell. Present officers: S. C. Holley, President; Henry Crofut, Vice-President; L. P. Treadwell, Secretary and Treasurer; Almon Judd, George E. Ryder, Wil- liam J. Rider, Luman L. Hubbell, F. H. Austin, Norman Hodge, David G. Penfield, Trustees. FIKE DEl'ARTMENT. The first reference to a fire department in Danbury we find in the Republican Journal, under date Nov. 11, 1793, being an advertisement, as follows: O- Fire ExaixE.-iS' A SUBSCRIPTION li;w been sot forwanl in tliLs town for the purpose of procuiingii FIKK ENGINK, iiiiii wliicli lias met with ttiewurmcfltRp- probution of evorj* genllumiin to wlioni it Iiiw I*e» presented. Tile En- gine propoBed to be pili-clinscd wili disclmrgo 80 gnllons per minute nnd throw it 100 feet in height. Ah soon AS three linndred dollars nre subscribed for (iibont sixty of which arc now wanting) a meeting of the 8ub«cril>ore will bo held, und a committee appointed to purchase said engine, and for such other pur* poses as may be deemed neeessnry. To suggest to the enliglitened inliabitants of this town the usefulness of a Fire Engine, and to exitatiute on tlie invention of a machine which under Providence has saved the lives and pr^iierty of millions, would bo Justly deemed an insult to their uuderstauding. Tlie sulwcilption is still to t»c seen at the store of Messrs. Cunniughom X Mygi\tt, where those who arc dcsimus of subscribing are requested to call. Danbury, Nov. 11, 1703. At a borough-meeting at the court-house, Mond.iy, July 14, 1823, a by-law was pa.sscd to appoint one or more fire inspectors, ts hold the office until the an- nual borough-meeting, nnd their duties were defined. .Vt the annual meeting. May 10, 1824, it was " Fotet?, That Samuel T«-eeil.v, .lohns )n Wildman. aiul Xinim Wiltlmou be a committee to in<iuire into the prul»able expense of an engine or on- ginui, and to devise tlie best methiMl to procuroone or more for the benefit of this borough, and re|tort at a future meeting of Uio liorough all the facts with their opiliijii thereon." At the annual borough-meeting, May 8, 1826, Na- thaniel Bishop, Mose White, and Jesse Crofut were appointed fire inspectors. At a borough-meeting Oct. 6, 1828, it was "ro(e</, That Russel Hoyt nnd Samuel Tweedy lie a committee to cor- respond with the prt)prictor of the engines bnilt at Canaan, for the pnr- p<ise of ascertaining on what terms one or more can be purchased, and reiKirt at a future meeting." The meeting was adjourned to December 1st, when it was " Voteil, That the warden and burgesses be directed to send to Canaan for one or more engines to be tried." At a borough-meeting, Jan. 20, 1829, it was " Vi)leii, That a tax of two and a half cents on the dollar be laid on the polls and taxable property within the Ijorough, on an assessment-list lately made out by direction of the borough, payable by the loth duy • l February next, to purchase two fire-engines. " Voteti, That Eliiis S. Sanford be and is hereby appointed collector of the above tax at two per cent, premium, to be paid into the treasury by the 20tli of March next. " Voted, That the wanlen and burgesses be directed to make such regu- lations as to the locality of the engines, and also as to forming companies to take care of nnd manage the engines, and also to \&y out the suri'li. of the tax, if any after paying for the engiues. At the session of the General Assembly held at Hartford in 1829, upon the petition of Daniel B. Cook, and warden, and burgesses, the borough was author- ized a second fire company, not to exceed sixteen men, and at a meeting of the warden and burgesses, July 13, 1829, '* Voted, That two fire companies be formed and organized within said borough, to he denominated Fire Company No. 1 and Fire Coniftauy No. 2. "Alio voted. That Company No. 2 shall consist of twenty-five men, ID- eluding officers, and No. 1 of sixteen meu, including officers." At a meeting of the warden and burgesses held .July 13, 1829, the following persons were appointed officer* of Fire Company No. 2; Moss White, Foreman; William Patch, Assistant Foreman; EliT. Hoyt, Sec- 1 retary. The following jx-rsons were appointed fire- men and attached to said Company No. 2, and to be deemed memlicrs of said company : .John Foot, Daniel Anderson, Samuel Barber, Rory Starr, Thomas M. Gregory, Alfred Benedict, John F. Baird, Stan Nichols, Edward Tweedy, Enoch Moore, Sands Per- kins, liklward Holmes, Underbill Nelson, Stephen T. Gregory, Davi<l P. .\bbott, Samuel J. Downing, Henry C. Lobilcll.