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

Our database does not include an historic photo for Warren, (Litchfield County) Connecticut, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

George Watson Cole, librarian, was born in Warren, Conn., Sept. 6, 1850; son of Munson and Antoinette Fidelia (Taylor), grandson of Hezekiah and Jerusha (Beers), great-grandson of Jonathan and Lois (Squires) and great-great grandson of John Cole, supposed to have emigrated from Scotland and settled in New Milford, Conn., prior to 1745. He received his early education at Phillips academy, Andover, Mass., studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1876. He gave up the practice of law in 1885 to enter library work. He was graduated at the library school of Columbia college in 1888; was cataloguer of the public library, Fitchburg, Mass., 1885-86; librarian of the Pratt institute free library, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1886-87; assistant in the Newberry library, Chicago, Ill., 1888-90; and librarian of the Free public library, Jersey City, N. J., 1891-95, when he resigned to devote himself to bibliographical work. He served as a member of the committee on library schools, of the American library association, 1892-93; as treasurer of the association, 1893-95; as vice-president and president of the New Jersey state library association, 1891-95; secretary of the New York (city) library club, 1892-93; and as president of the last named, 1893-94. He was elected a life member of the American library association, a member of the Bibliographical society of London, England, and an associate member of the Institut international de bibliographie, Brussels.

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

Charles Grandison Finney, preacher and educator, was born in Warren, Conn., Aug. 29, 1792; son of Sylvester and Rebekka (Rice) Finney. About 1794 his parents removed to Oneida county, N.Y., and in 1818 to Henderson, Jefferson county, N.Y. He attended an academy at Warren, Conn., in 1812, taught in New Jersey, and was admitted to the New York bar. In 1820 he purchased a Bible as a reference book in law, and through the reading of this and the preaching of the Rev. Dr. George W. Gale, he gave up his law business in 1821. A year later he was taken in charge by the St. Lawrence presbytery of New York, and placed under private teachers for theological instruction. Early in 1824 he was licensed to preach and in July was ordained by the same presbytery and entered upon a successful career as an evangelist. He held protracted meetings at Evans Mills, Rome, Utica, Auburn, Troy and New Lebanon, N.Y., Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia, Pa., till 1829. He preached in New York city and in Rochester, N.Y., in 1830. In the latter place, as an outcome of his meetings, twelve hundred persons united with the churches of the Rochester presbytery and forty of his converts subsequently entered the ministry. This same year he was invited to preach at Union college, Schenectady, N.Y., by President Nott, and later at Boston, Mass., by the Congregational churches. He preached in the old National theatre, New York city, 1832-34. In 1834 the Broadway tabernacle was built for him, but the following year he resigned his pastorate and became professor of theology at Oberlin college, Ohio. He held this position till his death, and in its early years his personal friends contributed largely to its support. He was president of Oberlin college, 1851-66; pastor of the Congregational church there, 1837-72; preached in Boston, Mass., 1842-43 and 1856-57; in London, Eng., 1849-50; and in England and Scotland, 1858-60. He assisted in establishing and editing the Oberlin Evangelist and the Oberlin Quarterly, and published: Lectures on Revivals (1835, 1840 and 1868); Lectures to Professing Christians (1836); Sermons on Important Subjects (1839); Lectures on Systematic Theology (2 vols., 1847-51); and wrote his Memoirs published in 1876. He died in Oberlin, Ohio, Aug. 16, 1875.

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