History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

At the age of sixteen Charles wont to Norwalk to learn the trade of tinsmith, which he spent four years in acquiring. During these years his evenings, in- stead of being devoted to recreation and jileasure, as were the evenings of most of the aiii)rentices a.sso- ciated with him, were spent in hard work, attending to customers and in mastering the business, and so proficient did he become that during the last years of his apprenticeship he was given almost entire charge of his employer's business. The concern in wliieh he was employed failed during the great dejiressiou of 188(>-.S7, and with but twelve cents in his pocket he turned his steps from New Haven, wliitlier he had gone in pursuit of employment, to Danbury, thirty- six miles distant, which he reached by the way of Red- ding, the home of his grandmother, having walked the entire distance, forty-three miles. In Danbury he found work at his trade, as forenuin in the shop of Jlr. A. Rogers. In the spring of 1843, with a thorough knowledge of his trade, with little capital, but with invincible courage and untiring industry and energy, he began, in a small way, business for himself. For thirty-seven years he has conducted the business of tin-, iron-, and copper-ware manufacturer in Danbury, and kept in connection therewith one of the largest general fur- nishing stores in the State, and in his career as a business man presents a useful le.sson to the poor, struggling but ambitious boy, starting as he did with nothing but willing hands, a stout heart, and a deter- mination to succeed, and l)y industry, foresight, and economy accumulating a fortune and indeiiendeut position among men. •■- While Mr. Hull's business interests have always been large, varied, and engrossing, lie has yet found much time to devote to the public. During the war a portion of the time he was selected as agent to look after the interests of his town ; he was a director in the Danbury Bank when it was a State institution, and one of the originators of the Pahquioque Bank, of which he has always been a director. He is also director in several of the large manufacturing corpo- rations of Danbury ; has been selectman, and for several years past has been town agent. We relate an incident in Mr. Hull's life which, if it neither "jxiints a moral" nor "adorns a tale," is at least illustrative of the vicissitudes, the ups and downs, of life. While the subject of this memoir was yet a young barefooted boy working among the farm- ers of his native town, he one afternoon strolled into Danbury. lie had oiten heard of the palatial resi- dence and aristocratic family of the late Seth Corn- stock, Es(i., and as he .sauntered u]) the main street his attention was attracted by an imposing array of carriages before the mansion. Tlie occasion was the marriage of Mr. Comstoek's son, a broker in New York, and was being conducted with mucli pomp and ceremony. One of the features was a carpet laid from the door to the carriages for the guests to walk on. Charles had nevqr seen anything of the kind before, and it made an impression upon his young mind, and led to indulgence in mental speculations. What those speculations were doe.i not transpire ; visionary enough they seemed to him, no doubt, but how they ajipear viewed retrospectively we leave to be inferred, affording to the reader these data: To-day Mr. Hull owns the ground whereon that mansion stood, to- gether with the fine block of buildings covering it, built by himself Mr. Hull was married Nov. 1.8, 1841), to Mi.ss Han- nah K., daugliter of Thomas and Klizabetli Ambler, of Danbury. Their children are Harriet E., now Mrs. Alexander McNie, (rf Winona, Minn., Mary E., now Mrs. Granville W. Hoyt, of Danbury, Frederick A., Thomas A., and Sarah M. 264 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. ROGER AVERILL. Roger Averill was born in Salisbury, in Litchfield Co., Conn., on the 14th day of August, ISO'). His father, Nathaniel V. Averill, and his mother, Mary Whittlesey, were natives of Washington, in the same county, and were worthy representatives of the best type of the New England character. Mr. Averill received his early training on the farm, and was thoroughly impresseil with a sense of the value of time and of the importance of personal effort to achieve success. Habits of industry were formed in youth, and continued in practice in alter- life. Every facility Which the best common schools could furnish was placed within his reach for the acquisition of knowledge and mental improvement ; and fortunately for him his native town had within its limits two valuAle public libraries, to which he had free access. These proved to be of inestimable advantage in supplying him with the means of ac- quiring knowledge from books. They were often consulted and much read, and greatly contributed to the proper unfolding and moulding of his character and shaping his .subsequent life. At the age of eighteen years Mr. Averill com- menced teaching a common school, and at the same time he began the study of the Latin without the aid of an instructor. Self-reliant and ambitious, he made considerable progress in preparatory studies before he fully decided to take a college course, and his friends had no knowledge of his wishes or his intentions in regard to an education. His older brother, Chester Averill, then a graduate of and a professor in Union College, New York, learning that some progress had been made in preparatory studies, favored his contin- uance in them, with a view to a full course, and fur- nished the necessary and apjirojjriate books. Thus encouraged and strengthened, he at once decided to go to college, and applied himself vigorously and wholly to the work of preparation. In 1828 he became a member of the freshman class in Union College, and graduated with honor and dis- tinction in 18.32. He remained at college a resident graduate for a few months, and then returned to Sal- isbury and opened a select .school, which proved to be a complete succe-ss. The number of a|)plications for admission was greater than could be accommodated. The people of the town took measures to erect imme- diately a suitable permanent academy to meet the public wants. Mr. Averill continued as ]irineipa1 of this school for one year, and when it was in a full tide of prosperity he abandoned school-teaching and commenced the study of law. He entered the office of the Hon. Samuel Church, then a judge of the Su|>reme Court, who afterwards became chief justice of the State of Connecticut. He was admitted to the bar of Litchfield County in IS.^I'i, and at once opened an office for the practice of law in Salisbury. He had immediately his full share of the law business of that and the neighboring towns in that part of the county, and had the confidence and support of his fellow-citizens, who conferred upon him many official trusts and responsibilities. He represented the town of Salisbury in the ficn- eral Assembly in 184.3. He removed to Danbury in 1849, where he now resides. Since his removal he has held various public and responsible offices. Two years he was judge of the Court of Probate for the district of Danbuni', twelve years a tru.stce of the State Normal School at New Britain, and a member of the State Roard of Education for three years. Four years, from 1862 to 1866, he was Lieutenant- Governor of the State of Connecticut. For many years he has been and now is a director in the Dan- bury National Bank and a trustee of the savings bank of Danbury ; also a director and treasurer of the Danbury Mutual Fire Insurance Company from the time of its organization in 18.51. In 1868 he represented the town of Danbury in the Legislature of this State. He has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Maria D. White, of Danbury, who died in Feb- ruary, 1861, leaving four children, — two daughters and two sons, the latter being members of the legal profession in practice in this State. His present wife was Miss Mary A. Perry, of Southport, Conn. EDWARD SMITH DAVIS. Edward Smith Davis comes of Welsh ancestry, who settled in Hartford as early sis 1640. His grandfather was captured during the Revolution a.s one of the prominent citizens of Bloomficld and released on parole. His father, Caleb Smith Davis, was a farmer in Bloomficld, N. J. He served in the war of 1812- 14. The sword worn by him as major is still in the possession of his son. His children were Louisa J.. Charles M., Joseph H., Edward S., and Mary W., all of whom are living and all save one have families. It is a rcmarkalile (act, worthy of record, that there has been but one death in this family in fifty-eight years. E. S. Davis remained with his father until his twen- tieth year, receiving academical educational advan- tages. At this age he went to Boston to engage in the manufacture of p.aper boxes, the business being at this time in its infancy. He took charge of busi- ness already established by his brother-in-law, S. A. Brower, the pioneer paper-box maker in this country, who is still living at an advanced age. The biisine.ss was in charge of an agent, whom young Davis soon discovered to be conducting it dishonestly, much to Mr. Brower's loss. In 18.')2, Mr. Davis came to Danbury, borrowing six dollars to defray the expenses of the journey. He came to engage in his present business of box-making, with Mr. Brower as silent partner. This copartner- ship lasted one and a half years, at the end of which J 'lioio. hy J. H. Folsoni, Danbory _.-^i%-7^^e^<^ I .i^^-^. '•*^ \-?*a DANBURY. 265 time Mr. Davis bought Mr. Brower's interest, and has since conductod the business alone. May, IS')/), Mr. Davis was married to Jane H., daughter of Bracy and Hannali Scofiekl, of Danbury. Their eliildren were Samuel A., Robert \V., and Ed- ward S., Jr. Mrs. Davis died in .Se])tembcr, 1S74. In Xovendjer, 1875, Mr. Davis married Hannah, daughter of Elijah Gregory, of Danbury. Their chil- dren are Herbert R. and Anna L.