History of Colebrook, (Litchfield County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Edward Brown, educator, was born at Colebrook, Conn., Nov. 1, 1814, son of Frederick and Chloe S. (Pettibone) Brown. He was educated at the Wadsworth, Ohio, academy, and at the Western Reserve college. In 1840 he became a professor at Miami collegiate institute at Peru, Ind., where he remained two years, and from 1842 to 1844 was a teacher at Logansport and Ontario. He then studied law, and in 1845 began to practise in Michigan, later opening a law office in Whitewater, Wis. He was ordained to the ministry Jan. 11, 1853, and until 1866 was home missionary in Wisconsin and Minnesota. From 1866 to l868 he was district secretary of the American tract society. From 1870 to 1874 he preached at Medford, Minn., and for the next two years was pastor at Wadsworth, Ohio. He afterwards held charges in South Dakota and in Wisconsin, and from 1892 till the time of his death was honorary pastor of Hope church, West Superior, Wis. Western Reserve and Beloit colleges conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. In 1848 he edited the Lagrange Whig, in 1875-'76 the Home Scientist, and in 1886 The Thanksgiving. His publications include the following: "Games of Chance and Gambling," "The Illustrious Resurrection," "From the Gossamer Thread to the Cart Rope, or, Progress in Vice," "Prayer for Blessing, Dependent on Natural Forces," "Memorial Address on the Death of Gov. L. P. Harvey," "Death of President Garfield," "Our Patriot Dead," "Philosophy of the Power of Habit," and "The Origin of Man; His Work in Creation and Geologic Time." He died March 23, 1895.

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

John Jason Owen, educator and author, was born in Colebrook, Conn., Aug. 13, 1803. His parents removed to Johnstown, N.Y., where he was prepared for college. He was graduated from Middlebury college, Vt., A.B., 1828, A.M., 1831; from Andover Theological seminary in 1831, and was ordained by the presbytery of New York city, Oct. 7, 1831. He was secretary of the Presbyterian Education society, 1831-35; principal of Cornelius institute, New York, 1835-48; professor of Latin and Greek, and vice-principal of the newly-organized Free academy, 1846-66. When the name was changed in 1866 to the College of the City of New York, he was made vice-president and served 1866-69. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by the University of the City of New York in 1848, and that of LL.D. by Ingham college in 1850, and by Middlebury in 1864. He was a trustee of Middlebury college, Vt., 1863-69. He is the author of a translation of: Xenophon's Anabasis (1843); Homer's Odyssey (1844); Xenophon's Cyclop?dia (1846); The Works of Thucydides (1847); also the Acts of the Apostles in Greek, with a Lexicon (1850); A Greek Reader (1852), and a Commentary, Critical, Expository, and Practical, on the Gospels (3 vols., 1857-73). He died in New York city, April 18, 1869.

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

James Phelps, representative, was born in Colebrook, Conn., Jan. 12, 1822; son of Dr. Lancelot and Elizabeth (Sage) Phelps; grandson of Lancelot Phelps, a volunteer in the Revolutionary war, and a descendant of William Phelps, Windsor, Conn., 1635. His father was a representative from Connecticut in the 24th and 25th congresses, 1835-39. He was educated in the Episcopal academy at Cheshire, Conn., and in Washington college, and was admitted to the bar in 1844. He settled in practice in Essex, Conn.; was married, Sept. 30, 1845, to Lydia A., daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Wilson) Ingham, and served as judge of probate. He was a representative in the Connecticut legislature, 1853-54, and in 1856; a state senator, 1858-59; judge of the state superior court 1863-73; judge of the supreme court of errors, 1873-75; a Democratic representative from the second district in the 44th-47th congresses, 1875-83, and judge of the state superior court, 1885-92. He died in Essex, Conn., Jan. 16, 1900.

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

George Cyprian Jarvis, surgeon, was born in Colebrook, Conn., April 24, 1834; youngest son of Dr. George Ogelvie and Philamela (Marshall) Jarvis, and grandson of John and Elizabeth (Boult) Jarvis and of Raphael and Philamela (Grant) Marshall. He acquired his early education at the public school. 1840-49; attended the military academy at Norwich, Vt., 1849-50; was a pupil of the Rev. S. M. Emery, 1850-51; was a student at Trinity college, Conn., 1851-53; and studied chemistry under Professor Johnson at Wesleyan university, 1854, and in New York under Prof. J. Ogden Doremus, 1855. He was a clerk in a drug store in Middletown, Conn., 1856-59, began the study of medicine with his father, and received the degree of M.D. from the University of the city of New York in March, 1861. He was a physician at Stamford, Conn., in 1861 and the same year was appointed assistant surgeon in the first battalion, Connecticut cavalry. In October, 1862, he was promoted surgeon of the 7th Connecticut volunteers with the rank of major, in which capacity he served until mustered out in July, 1865. He served under Fr?mont in Western Virginia; under Gen. John Pope at Manassas; in the Department of the South in the siege of Charleston; in the Army of the James in Virginia; and in caring for nearly 20,000 prisoners rescued from the southern prisons and placed in camp at Wilmington, N.C., immediately after the close of the war. He then settled at Hartford, Conn., and became one of the leading consulting surgeons of the state. He made the first surgical operation for appendicitis in July, 1877, and out of his first thirty cases he lost only four. In 1878 he performed the operation of suprapubic and perineal cystotomy for the permanent cure of chronic cystitis which was exceedingly successful, and his surgical skill extended to other notable operations that were recorded in the surgical annals. He was a member of the examining committee for conferring degrees at the medical department of Yale, and one of the visiting surgeons of the Hartford hospital.

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