History of Ridgefield, (Fairfield County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Charles Augustus Goodrich, clergyman, was born in Ridgefield, Conn., in 1790. He was graduated from Yale in 1812, and four years later was ordained a minister of the Congregational church. He held a pastorate in Worcester, Mass., 1816-20; in Berlin, Conn., 1820-48, and then took charge of a congregation in Hartford, Conn. He was at one time a member of the state senate and held other public offices. In collaboration with his brother, Samuel Griswold Goodrich, he wrote several books for the young, and is also the author of: View of Religions (1829); Lives of the Signers (1829-36); History of the United States of America (1829-35 and 1867); Family Tourist (1848); Family Sabbath-Day Miscellany, Geography of the Chief Places Mentioned in the Bible, Greek Grammar, Child's History of the United States, and Bible History of Prayer (1855); Great Events of American History; Outlines of Geography; Universal Taveller. He died in Hartford, Conn., Jan. 4, 1862.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Phineas Chapman Lounsbury, governor of Connecticut, was born in Ridgefield, Conn., Jan. 10, 1841; son of Nathan and Delia (Scofield) Lounsbury. His father was a farmer. He was educated in the public schools of Ridgefield, and enlisted as a private in the 17th Connecticut volunteer infantry in 1861. He was obliged to retire from the army on account of serious illness, and with his brother, George E. Lounsbury, he engaged in the shoe manufacturing business in New Haven and South Norwalk, Conn. He was married in 1867 to Jennie, daughter of Neziah Wright. In 1885 he became president of the Merchants' Exchange National bank of New York city, of which he had been a director for some years. He was elected a Republican representative in the Connecticut legislature in 1874, and served as speaker. In 1886 he was the candidate of the Republican party for governor of Connecticut, and in the election, Nov. 2, 1886, he received 56,920 votes to 58,818 for Edward S. Cleveland, Democrat; 4699 for S. B. Forbes, Prohibitionist, and 2792 for H. C. Baker, labor candidate. There being no choice by the people, a majority being necessary, the legislature elected the Republican state ticket, and Mr. Lounsbury served as governor, 1887-89. He was elected a trustee of Wesleyan university in 1880, and received the degree of LL.D. from there in 1887.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Cyrus Northrop, educator, was born in Ridgefield, Conn., Sept. 30, 1834; son of Cyrus and Polly Benton (Fancher) Northrop; grandson of Josiah and Rebecca (Olmstead) Northrop and a descendant of English ancestors. He was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1857, and LL.B., 1859; was admitted to the bar in 1860, settled in practice in Norwalk, Conn., and was clerk of the Connecticut house of representatives in 1861 and of the state senate in 1862. He was married, Sept. 30, 1862, to Anna Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Davenport Warren of Stamford, Conn. He was editor-in-chief of the New Haven Daily Palladium, 1862-63; was professor of rhetoric and English literature in Yale college, 1863-84, and served as collector of the port of New Haven. In 1884 he was elected president of the University of Minnesota. He was moderator of the Congregational National Council at Worcester in 1889, and assistant moderator of the first International Congregational Council in London, England, in 1891. He received the degree of LL.D. from Yale in 1886, and published several addresses.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Ireland Howe, inventor, was born in Ridgefield, Conn., July 20, 1793. He was educated for the medical profession, was resident physician in the New York almshouse, and a practitioner in New York city and after 1829 in North Salem, N.Y. He patented an india-rubber compound in 1828 and built a factory for its manufacture in 1829 at North Salem. He claimed to have been the first person to attempt to combine with india-rubber other substances to make it more useful in the arts. His substance not proving the best for the purpose nothing came of his invention. In 1830-31 he produced a machine for manufacturing pins with solid heads, which he patented in 1832. He completed another machine for their manufacture in 1833, and in January, 1834, having secured patents abroad, he erected in Manchester, England, a machine by which pins to the weight of 24,000 to the pound were produced. Failing to sell his patents in England, he returned to the United States in 1836 and erected a factory in New York, removing it to Birmingham, Conn., in 1838. He patented his rotary machine in 1840, and this machine was used with no material improvements for thirty years. He was awarded medals for his inventions with improvements made from time to time. He died in Birmingham, Conn., Sept. 10, 1876.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor