Middlesex County CT Archives History - Books .....Prominent Men 1887

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 20, 2005, 11:25 pm

Book Title: The Old Chimney Stacks Of East Haddam

CHAPTER. XXII
PROMINENT MEN.

  The readers of the Old Chimney Stacks, have probably observed that East
Haddam, and particularly Millington, has been the birth-place or residence of
many prominent men, whose names have been illustrious in connection with our
national and state governments; men who have adorned the higher and nobler
professions of life; men, and women too, to whom we can refer with pride. Many
of them sleep in our church yards, though dead, yet living; many went forth and
have never returned from the fields where they so nobly toiled; some still live
to adorn their chosen professions. I will now record some of the prominent names
which occur to me, and regret that I am unable to make the list complete.

  Hon. Joseph Spencer, whose history is here given, was a native of Millington,
and lived and died at the Old Stack, just south of Lyman Cone's. His brother,
Rev. Elihu Spencer, of the College of New Jersey, was born in Millington. His
grandson, John Sargeant, was candidate for Vice President of the United States,
in 1832.

  Rev. Spencer H. Cone, the eminent Baptist Divine, was born in Millington, just
south of E. F. Peck's. For a number of years he stood at the head of the Baptist
church in New York City.

  Elizabeth Spencer, daughter of Joseph, Jr., of Millington, became the wife of
the Hon. Lewis Cass, candidate for President in 1848.

  Hon. Isaac Spencer, of Millington, was for many years Treasurer of the State
of Connecticut.

  David Brainard, the eminent Missionary among the Indians, was a brother of
Hon. Joseph Spencer's wife, and resided several years in Millington, when a youth.

  One of the most remarkable men of the age, was Dr. Eliphalet Nott, who lived
during several years of his boyhood on the old road running north from the old
Austin Beebe House in Millington. He lived here with relatives, having been left
an orphan at quite an early age. During his early life he had to endure many of
the hardships of poverty. For want of shoes he was forced to go barefooted most
of the year. When quite young, he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and,
notwithstanding his limited opportunities, and the obstacles he had to
encounter, at the age of nineteen he stood the examination for the degree of
Master of Arts, and actually had the degree conferred upon him by Brown's
University without his having attended college a single day. He chose the
vocation of the ministry, and after the usual three years' study, was ordained
at the age of twenty-two. He was married soon after, and with his bride, on
horseback, started off on their wedding-trip to what was then the far West. They
stopped and made a settlement at the new village of Cherry Valley, about fifty
miles west of Albany. Soon after his settlement, the fame of his talents
reaching Albany, he was invited to become the pastor of one of its principle
churches, which invitation he accepted. While here, he preached that famous
sermon upon the death of Hamilton, which attracted universal attention, and
which still ranks as one of the most eloquent and striking ever delivered in the
United States. Seven years after he came to Albany, he was called to the
presidency of Union College, in the building up and management of which he
displayed talents for business that would have sufficed for the government of a
nation. He was also the inventor of the famous "Nott Stove" for burning coal,
the patents of which procured a vast revenue, so that when he died, he was one
of the richest men in the State of New York, west of Albany.

  In the fiftieth year of his presidency, he gave to Union College as a
permanent endowment, the sum of six hundred and ten thousand dollars. He held
his position for sixty-one years, and died in the ninety-third year of his age.

  Born before the Revolution, inheriting an almost perfect bodily constitution,
with talents of the highest order, which were used only for the benefit of
mankind he lived to see the close of the Rebellion, bequeathing to the world a
name and a fame that will never die.


Additional Comments:
Transcribed from:

THE OLD CHIMNEY STACKS OF EAST HADDAM, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CONNECTICUT,
BY
HOSFORD B. NILES,
Author of Genealogy of THE NILES FAMILY.
NEW YORK: LOWE & CO., Book and Job Printers No. 210 Fulton Street.
1887


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