History of Lebanon, (New London County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Joseph Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, was born in Lebanon, Conn., Dec. 7, 1782; son of David and Sarah (Backus) Trumbull; and grandson of Jonathan and Faith (Robinson) Trumbull. He was graduated from Yale in 1801; admitted to the bar at Windham, Conn., in 1803, and practised in Hartford, Conn., 1804-28. He was president of the Hartford bank; a representative in the state legislature in 1832; was elected a Whig representative in the 23d congress to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of William W. Ellsworth, serving, 1834-35, and was reelected to the 26th and 27th congresses, 1839-43. He was returned to the state legislature in 1848, and again in 1851, and was governor of Connecticut, 1849-50. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Yale in 1849. He died in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 4, 1861.

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

Clark Bissell, governor of Connecticut, was born in Lebanon, Conn., in 1782. He was graduated at Yale in 1806, and was admitted to the bar in 1808 and practised in Lebanon and Norwalk, Conn. He was judge of the supreme court of Connecticut 1829-'39; Kent professor of law at Yale 1847-'55, and governor of Connecticut, 1847-'49. Yale gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1847. He died in Norwalk, Conn., Sept. 15, 1857.

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

Gordon Lester Ford, publisher, was born in Lebanon, Conn., Dec. 16, 1823; son of Lester and Eliza (Burnbam) Ford. He removed to New York in 1835, and became a lawyer in 1850. He was president of the New London, Willimantic & Palmer railroad company, 1852-55, and collector of internal revenue in Brooklyn, N.Y., 1869-71. He joined the independent Republican movement in 1872, and was a delegate to the convention which nominated Horace Greeley for the presidency. In 1863 he was one of the organizers of the Brooklyn Union, afterward the Standard-Union, and he also assisted in establishing the Brooklyn academy of music and the Brooklyn art association. He was business manager of the New York Tribune, 1873-81, and in the latter year became president of the Brooklyn, Flatbush & Coney Island railroad company. He was an enthusiastic collector of rare books, pamphlets and autograph letters, and at the time of his death was the possessor of a library of about 50,000 volumes and a collection of 100,000 autograph letters. He was married in 1854 to Emily Ellsworth, a daughter of Prof. William Chauncey and Harriet (Webster) Fowler, granddaughter of Noah Webster, and the author of: My Recreations (1872); and Poems (1879); besides numerous poems, stories and essays. Mr. Ford died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nov. 14, 1891.

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

Roswell Park, educator, was born in Lebanon, Conn., Oct. 1, 1807; son of Avery and Betsey (Meech) Park; grandson of Roswell and Eunice (Starkweather) Park, and of Daniel and Zerviah (Witter) Meech, and a descendant of Robert Parke, who emigrated from Preston, England, to America in 1630, settled in Roxbury, Mass., removed to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1639; from there to New London, in 1649, and was representative to the general court, 1641-42 and 1652. His parents removed to Burlington, Otsego county, N.Y., where he prepared for college. He matriculated at Hamilton college, N.Y., but left in 1827 before graduating to enter the U.S. military academy, where he was graduated first in the class of 1831, and promoted 2d lieutenant in the U.S. corps of topographical engineers, July 1, 1831. The same season he passed the final examination at Union college and was graduated with the class of 1831. He was assistant engineer at Fort Adams, 1831-33, at Fort Warren, 1833-36, at the Delaware Breakwater, 1836, and resigned from the army, Sept. 30, 1886. He was professor of chemistry and natural philosophy in the University of Pennsylvania, 1836-42. He prepared for holy orders under Bishop G. W. Doane in Burlington, N.J., 1842-43; was admitted to the diaconate, Sept. 10, 1843; ordained priest May 28, 1844; was rector of Christ church, Pomfret, Conn., 1843-52, and conducted the school known as Christ Church Hall, 1845-52. He declined the presidency of Norwich university, Vt., in 1850; spent six months in Europe, 1852; founded and was the first president of Racine college, Racine, Wis., 1852-59, and its chancellor, 1859-63. He was instrumental in having St. John's school, Delafield, Wis., unite with Racine college, and in introducing the elective course of study, and discontinuing the two-year scientific course. He was rector of St. Luke's church at Racine, Wis., 1859-63, and rector and proprietor of Immanuel Hall, a literary and scientific school near Chicago, Ill., 1863-69. He received the degree A.M. from Union college in 1836, and from Hamilton college in 1837, and that of D.D. from Norwich university in 1850. He was an original member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and held various offices of trust. He was married first, Dec. 28, 1836, to Mary Brewster, daughter of Benjamin F. and Mary C. (Coolidge) Baldwin, of Woburn, Mass., and secondly, April 25, 1860, to Eunice Elizabeth, daughter of Gardner and Elizabeth Niles. He is the author of: Juvenile and Miscellaneous Poems (1836); Sketch of the History of West Point (1840); Pantology (1841); Handbook for Travelers in Europe (1853); Jerusalem and other Poems (1857) and text-books for his pupils' use. He died in Chicago, Ill., July 16, 1869.

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