History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

pa.ssed in his native town, like the youth of that period generally, working at farm labor during the summer season and attending school in the winter. When only twelve years of age he entered as a clerk the retail grocery establishment of Klots & Traf- ford in New York City. Here he remained six years, and then became a clerk in the store of C. & R. War- dell & Co., wholesale grocers in New York, and after a service here of six years came to Bridgeport, then a small vilhige, as clerk for the late D. H. Sterling, who was a wholesale grocer, iind for that day doing a large business. He remained in the employ of Air. Sterling about four years, aud on the 12th of April, 1845, thirty-five years ago, commenced business for himself a-s a member of the firm of Morford. Blakc- man & Co., wholesale grocers. Mr. Blakeman, who is now a member of the firm of Ivison, Blakeman, I'hinney & Co., publishers, of New York, continued with the firm only about six months, and disposed of his interest to Mr. L. C. Northrop, and the business wn.s conducted under the firm-name of Morford, Northrop it Co., the "Co." being Mr. Philo Hurd, about four years, when -Mr. Samuel C. and David Trubce pureha.scd Mr. Northrojj's interest. Samuel C. remained with the firm but a few years, when he retired, and this large l)usiness has since been carried on under the name, familiar to business men through- out Connecticut and Massachusetts, of Morford & Tru- bce. During the long career of this firm they have occupied only two stores, the old one. No. ;54(J, and the present one, first occupied in 1870, 35l) aud 358 Water Street. At the beginning of busine.ss the sales were meagre, anumnting to about seventy-five thousand dollars per year, and as an illustration of the rapid development of the business, it is stated that the value of the an- nual sales now reaches from six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand dollars, while at times their monthly sales reach the sum of nincty-fivr thousand dollars. The house handles an immense amount of Hon rand sugar, and also owns a flouring-mill at Kalamazoo, Mich., with a capacity of nine hundred barrels per week. AVhile the .success of this business has been something remarkable, it has not been at- tained without the exercise of good judgment and a strict attention to the business in all its details. From the beginning Mr. Morh rd has given the business his persnmil iitlriifiiiii, and to mis fact, which is too much undervalued by many young business men of to-day. is attributed nnich of his success. During the variou- fiimneial panie-s which have swept over the country this house remained firm, and, remarkable a» it may a|)pear in the life of an active business man, from the beginning to the present time not a year has elapsed that Mr. Morfnnl has not made more than his ex- penses. Mr. Morford has educated numerous young men in business, many of whom have become successful irj their various spheres. Among the number may be i!itii>i;i-:r()i!T. mi nieiitioiK^d Mclaiirtha "SI. Ilunl, imw n iihiiiImi- uI ('limlcs K, Avrrill was Uoni in ( iraii\ illc. X. Y., ! thcrrlcluntril |.iililisliiii,irli(msf(.f lliir.l >>t ll.iiiiilitnii. Oi't.i;, 1S|l>. His lioyli.x.il was |i:issim1 in Ihc villairc Mr. .Miiiiinii is a l>nlilic--s|iiriti'(l ami ;;rncnais i-ili- iif l'lattsliuii;li, \. 'i'., w lien' lie was I'diicalcil at thi' Zen. |ii>|inlar willi the niassrs, ami nianifists a ilic-p l'lattsliuri;li .\i-a(lrin\ , at that tinir llir hailini;' rclii- inti'iTst in all matters temlini; to a(l\ ami- the interests eatidiial institution in Ndrtlii-rn New York, of tlie eity el' liriiljiepert. In early life he exhiliiteil a fjmlne^^ for mereantile Piilitieally he is a Democrat, ami an earnest ail\ii- ]inrsnits ami the eciiintin^f-roinn. At tin- aue nf thir- cate of the iirinei|iles (if lliat jiarty. In IX.'iS lie was teen he aeeepteil a elerkslii|p in a stmi' at Sarat(i};a cleeteil lirst seleetman 111' tile town, ami hehl tile olliee Sprinas, N, ^'., ami in 1S:!I) reinoveil to the eity of three years, the seeond year lieinj; mmiinateil hy New York, and lieeanie-;! clerk in tlie wholesale joli- both parties. Mr. _Morf.nd estaldisheil the presint l>ini;diolise of .Joseph 1',. Varnnni, Kio I'earl Street, .sy.stem of takiiii;- care of the town-poor, and redtieed Whih' here, :is :i hraneh of edni-alion. he took up the ]iatipcr e.xpenses in nwr year from twenty-two dnrinu' his leisure honi> the seiema' of donhle-eiitry tlninsand dollars to five thousand tive hundred dol- liook-kei'jiim.;, and lurame fannliar with liook^ and lars. He was elected mayor in IS(i4, and il was .neonnts. .\fter a tew nconths he was promoted to largely tlironirh his intlm-nee, and dnrim; his .idmin- .assistant hook-keepca-, and finally lieeame the liook- istraticni as mayor, that Seaside Park, one of the fim'st keeper for the eon<-ern. in tin- eonntry, al-o \Vasliim;toii and l!i'ardsley r.irks, In the winter of Isdi.' lie aee.'pted an invitation were eoninienec'd. from the late ilorris K'etelium. Ilsip, to come to JIayor Morford also manifests a lively interest in l'>ridt;e]iort and reside, ami on the Idtli of Man h of ecelesiastieal in.atlei-s. lie is a ehnrehman, was jn- the same year he was nnanimonsly elected treasurer nior warden in St. .lolin'^ ('hnrcli, was one of tin- of the Jloiisaloiuc llailro.id ( 'ompany, and has since foiimlers of Triinly ('hnrcli, and h.as lieeii siaiior held that otiicc. Jle is also treasurer of the " Bridiije- warden since its organization, in lS(io. port Steamlmat ('ompany," and has held that otfiee Nov. 11), 1S44, he united in marriau'c with Anna for fifteen years, Eliza Annin, a native of New York City, ami has Mr, Averill has always prominently identified hini- two children liviiifr, — Esther Holmes and (ieorge, self with the community wherein he has resided, and both of whom reside in r>ridge|iorl. Mrs. Morford has held at various tiim-s the olliia' of r( rder and is a descendant of John .\niiin, one of the pioneers aitini;: mayor ol' Michigan ('ity. Iml.; ]ioslinaster in of Basking Ridge, X. .J., and .Tonatlian Dii-kinson. A'ennont : and councilman, alderman, assessor, and the founder and lirst president of Prineetoii (_'ollege, polici' eonimissiomr in this city. While in X'ew The old Annin homestead is still standing, which York he held a commission from ( lovernor William was erected over one hundred and fifty years ago. L. Marcy as captain in the (_)iie Hundred ;ind Eorty- The Aniuns were of the Scotch iioliility. Second Regiment of infantry, and his company was Mr. Morford'~ life has been one of steady and chiefly composed of Pearl Street clerks, active devotion fo husiness, and his great sma-i'ss Mr. .Vverill is a staunch Democrat, wdiosc first vote has been the natural result of his ability to examine was given for .\mlrcw .lack-on, Inird money, ami the and readily compreliend any subject iiresenteil to honest payment of all di-bt-. him, power to decide ]ironi]itly, and courage to act lie is a consistent chun Innan. a niendicr of St. with vigor and persistency in accordance with his .lohu's Church — Protestant Episcopal — in this city, convictions. in whiidi he is now senior warden. He is also trea.s- j urer of the ]iarish. April ff IS.'iS, he united in mar- riage with .lane 31., seventh dau::litei- of .lohn H. CHARLES KETCIIl'M AVl'ltlLL. ',•'- ,. ^ „ ' ^. ,, ,' , . ,. ., Sumner, of (_ laremont, N. II., and their family con- The subject of this sketch is deseemled from an old .^j^t^ ,,f fj^e children : Eucy, Mary, Henry 1)., .lane. New England family, dating from an ancestor, Isaac ;|,„| Charles. Henry D. is general ticket agent of Averill, who, in ITtMl, with two brotlKTs, emigrated d,,. I Icusatonic Railroad, from Milforil Haven, Wales, ami settled in Topslield, Mass. I — X'athan Averill, father of Charles K., was born April 10, 1774, in N.-w Preston, Liti-lifldd Co., Conn., ^^■•^^'' •"= ■ "^ '"' ^' -^ >•' ■ I and nuirried Pcdiy Ketchum, of Salisbury, Conn,, Isaac Sherman was born in the parish of Stratliehl, l] both of wdiom li\i'd to a ripe old age, the former now Ib-idgcport, Sept, 2'), 17.SS. He was the youngest dying at the age of ninety-two, and the latter at flic son of David and Rebecca ( Freiu-h i Shernmn, The ^ age of ninety. Their family consisted of nine chil- paternal residence was on Division Street, now Park P dren, — six sons and three ilaiighters. Their eldest Avenue, a short distance above X'ortli .\ venue, on the ' son, Henty, marrii'd a niece of Chancellor Kent, and site of the present residema' of Mr. .lohn II. Ileacli. their eldest daughter married Chancellor Walworth, It was the hoim'slcad of three generation- hearing tlu' the eminent jurist of X^ew York. honored name of I laviil Shernmn, in direct succession. 148 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. all of tliem nicii of iiiaik in llii-ir time. Tliis family caini! from Samuel Slieriiian, the (irst .settler of the name in Stratford, Conn., through Matthew, one of his eight .sons, wlio very early eame to Stratliekl, and lo- cated at or near the above-mentioned sjiot. Matthew Sherman was one of the constituent members of the Stratfield Church (now the First Congregational Church of liridgeport) at its organization in KJiK"), and with others brought his letter of dismission from i^tratford. Samuel, the fatlier of Matthew, emigrated to Boston from Dedham, in Es.sex, England, in 1(534, in company with his distinguished brother, Rev. .fohn Sherman, and their cousin, Capt. John Sherman. While both the latter settled in Watertown, ^lass., Samuel, who was married to Sarah Mitchell (daughter of Matthew Mitchell and ), ptished on to