History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

On the l.')th of May, 1820, he was married to Cor- nelia A., daughter of George Ireland, of New York. He continued in the city until the year 182'.>, when he was compelled, by a severe illness, which seriously impaired his constitution, to abandon liis jirofession and his residence, and removed to North Salem, N. Y. It was a most bitter disappointment to be obliged to resign a profession to whieh he was admirably adai)ted, and in whieh he had secured a very honorable posi- tion. For two or three years before leaving New York he became engaged in\>xpcriments on India-rubber, with a view to its application for the jiurposes to wliieh it has since been so successfully applied, and in 1828 he obtained a patent for rublier compounds, in his own words, " So far as I know, I was the first j)erson who attempted to utilize rubber by combining other sub- stances with it, but I did not happen to .stumble upon the right substance." While engaged as a physician at the New York almshoiLse he had seen English pins made by the old manual process, and had heard of a machine hav- ing been invented for that purpose. During the winter of 1830-31 he employed himself in a series of experiments with a view to constructing a pin- machine, whieh resulted in a rude model. Acquiring in these efl'orts gradually the skill and exi)erience in mechanical drawing upon which so much depends in perfecting the dctaiU of complicated mechanism, in j the winter of 1831-32 he succeeded in building a machine at the establishment of Robert Hoe & Co., i in New York, that was successful as a working model and would make pins, though in an imperfect way. This machine was patented in 1832, and in the same year it was exhibited at the fair of the American In- stitute, and attracted considerable attention. The Institute awarded him a silver medal " for a machine for making pins at one operation." In the winter of 1832, Dr. Howe began to construct a second machine, which was completed in the .spring of 1833. I'or the purjwsc of securing patents in iuiropc he sailed for England in May, 18.33, and reached London after a passage of thirt)' days, then considered short. Patents were secured in France, England, Scotland, and Ire- land during the year, and in January, 1834, Dr. Howe left London for Manchester, where he was en- gaged in building nuiehines according to the princi- ples of his invention until the spring of 183"), when he returned to New York. In December of that year the "Howe Manufactur- ing Company," named after its founder, was organ- ized for the purpose of manufaeturing ]>ins by means of Dr. I lowe's machines, and he was appointed general agent of the company, and in that capacity had the management of its manufaeturing department until 1863. The company, in 1836-37, built five machines for making what are called "spun-heads," which ma- chines were all altered into solid-headers, and were run successfully for a short time, when they were superseded by a new "rotarj-" machine, invented by Dr. Howe. The first rotary was completed in 1838, but the patent wiis not taken out until 1840. In 1842 the American Institute of New York awarded Dr. Howe a gold medal for the "best solid-headed pins," whieh were made on this machine. Previous to this — to wit, in .\iiril, 1838 — the com- pany had removed their manulaetory from New York to Birmingham, Conn., for its advantages in water- power. This removal compelled Dr. Howe to locate in Birmingham, where he continued to reside until his decease. In 1842, Dr. Howe invented an important improve- ment in the ojieration of sticking pins in paper, which consisted in the construction ami operation of "crimp- ing-bars." Dr. Howe's skill and devotion to the business compelled success. The early years of the business were years of struggle and toil. Skilled labor, appropriate tools, and perfect machinery were not at command as in these days. The language of the historian of Derby is well deserved : " Dr. Howe, with a persevering courage, contending against prejudice, inexperience, and poverty, knew no defeat, and must be placed at the head as the first practical and suc- cessful pin-manufacturer by means of automatic ma- chinery, however worthy may be his numerous prede- cessors and competitors, especially Sloeum, Fowler, Atwood, and others;" as also that of Dr. J. L. Bishop in his "History of American Manufactures:" Dr. Howe was " the inventor of the first practical automatic pin-making machine," "and has contrib- -^/^ ( CHAllLES HUBBELL, the subject of tliis sketch, was born in the town of Huntington, Fairfield Co., Conn., Jan. 5, 1817. Christopher Hubbeil, his father, was a farmer of but moderate means, and gave to Charles little besides an ordinary education. Being a man of more than ordinary industry, who stoo<l not back at small difficulties, he gradually accumulated a comfortable property, and gave to his children good educations. In the matter of education and schools he was ever interested, and the meeting of the district school board never found him an absentee. In disposition Mr. Hubbeil was quiet and domestic, always finding some- thing to do on the farm. In politics an earnest Democrat, as were all liis people, he gave the principles of that party staunch support, but never entered into poli- tics as a debater or office- seeker. As a neighbor and a citizen he was a good man, ready at all times to face his duty and perform it to the very best of his ability. On Sept. 10, 1848, he was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte A. Shelton, born Jan. 9, 1828. Charlotte A. was the daughter of Wm. Shelton, son of Jeremiah, the son of Daniel, who was the son of Thaddeus, son of Daniel Shelton. Daniel Shelton came from Deptford, Yorkshire, England, and settled at Long Hill, Huntington, ab<iut 1690. Mrs. Hubbell's motlier was Lucy Johnsou, CHAS HUBBELL daughter of Ebenezer Johnson, a tailor and farnaer of Huntington. Christopher Hubbeil, father of Charles, was married twice. His first wife was Ann Wells, to whom he was married Dec. 23, 1802, and who died May 18, 1814. By her he had three children, — John, born Oct. 27, 1803; Betsy Ann, born Nov. 4, 1805 ; Maryette, born Dec. 6, 1807. John became a sea captain, and dial in the We-st Indies, — it is sup- posed, of yellow fever. Betsy Ann married Mr. Blakemau, and died Nov. 22,1835. Maryette mar- ried Mr. Webb Downs, of Monroe. Sept. 14, 1815, Chris- topher Hublx;ll was mar- ried to his second wife, Melissa Tucker, who bore him three children, — Charles, born Jan. 5, 1817 ; Wells, born June 17,1818; Jane Melissa, March "2, 1826. Mr. Hubbeil found in Charlotte Siielton a faith- ful liulpn)ate, to whose industry he owetl much, and to whose affectiouate influence his cMldren owe much. He die<l Aug. 31, 1878. His chil- dren are: Amanda M., born Nov. 1, 1850, married to Geo. P. ]iid\vell, Oct. 28, 1874; Therasa J., born Oct. 11, 1854; Warren C, born March 22, 1860. Warren succeeds to the management of the farm. The only male repre- sentative of his branch of the family, he prom- isee to worthily follow his father's example of temperance and industry, and is justly held in esteem by the community. A F. G. PERRY. MB PERRY. PREDKRICK G. AND MILES B. PERRY. But a little more than one decade ago " the lowing herd roamed slowly o'er the lea" where now is heard the buzz and whir of machinery, the rattle of the busy loom, the heavy thud of the massive trip-hammer. The site of the present thriving and busy village of Shc-ltou was " seeded down to grass, its soil undisturbed save by the farmer's plowshare." Samuel Leavenworth Perry, son of Abner Perry and grandfather of P. G. and M. B. Perry, was born Feb. 18, 1702. Growing to manhood's estate he married Anna Davidson and located among the rugged hills of Huntington, opposite Birmingham, where the town of Shellon is now located. Undismayed by the rugged- ness of it.^ aspect, he built the house now (ieeu])ied by his grandsons on one of the most conimaiiding building sites in the vicinity, and commenced the laborious task of felling timber and removing the stone. Dying Jan. 18, 1828, at the age of sixty-six, his son Garry continued the improvement of the estate, and by his energy and industry was enabled to make his family comfortable and prosperous. Garry Perry was born Sejit. 13, ]7!l2, and was married to Sallie Birdseye, of Stratford, Nov. 24, 1824. His wife lived not quite a year, dying Oct. 9, 1826. Mr. Perry remained a widower until Oct. 11, 1837, when he was married to Fanny Bennett, daughter of Isaac Bennett and Mary Johnson, of Easton. By this marriage he had two children, Frederick Garry, born Sept. 2!), 18:58, and Miles Bennett, b..rn Oct. 6, 1840. Mr. Perry was a man of delicate strength, industrious habits, and considerable force of character ; a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church, taking an active part in church and school matters of his day. He died at the age of fifty, Sept. 8, 1842. The early education of Frederick and Miles Perry was received at the schools in Birmingham, Frederick finishing his education at Franklin, N. Y., and Miles at the academy at Easton, Conn. They engaged in farming until 1873, when they entered the coal and wood business in Shelton, in which they are at present engaged. Dealing with all alike, they have increased their business from the sale of one thousand tons of coal the first year to six thousand tons for 1879. The fact that these gentlemen live together, keeping no accounts with each other, but hold their property in common, fittingly illustrates their feelings towards each other. Frederick Perry was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Beach, Dec. ^1, 1870. Miss Beach is a daughter of David M. and Emily Buckingham Beach, of Trum- bull. David M. Beach is son of Eli B. Beach, and he a son of Daniel Beach, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, Frederick G. Perry has had two children, Jessie Bennett, born April 25, 1872, dying Aug. 22, 1872; and Emily Blakeman, born July 19, 1874. P. G. Perry served the town as representative during the session of 1878-79; also as selectman and town agent.