Menf o Progress Biographical S ketches and Portraits OF Leaders i n Business and Professional Life INND A OF THE COMPILED U NDER THE SUPERVISION OF RICHARD H ERNDON EDITEDY B RICHARD B URTON BOSTON NEW E NGLAND MAGAZINE 1898 M5"3 Copvright, 1 897 uv RICHARD H ERNDON 7TKTrcq H lSTORICAC-1 • C. ALFRED M UDOE * SON, PRINTERS, BOSTON. MENF O PROGRESS. ALLEN, I saac Almarin, Jr., Architect, Hartford, a d escendant of Captain Ephraim Pease, who was born in Enfield street, Enfield, Connecticut, entertained General Washington at his house in May 22, 1859, son of Isaac Almarin and Harriet Enfield. His father's mother Mary (Pease) Allen Jane (Carrier) Allen. He is an only son; of his was also a descendant of Captain Ephraim Pease. four sisters, but one is now living — Elizabeth A letter from General Washington referring to the Ingraham (Allen) Burns, wife of Louis Burns of hospitality of Captain Pease, is still preserved by Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The other three sisters died while young. His father is a well-to-do farmer of Enfield, and his grandfather, Chauncey Allen, was an extensive farmer and dealer in leaf tobacco, who died at the age of eighty-nine, leaving a large property. Isaac Allen, brother of Chaun cey, moved from Enfield to Clarkson, Monroe county, New York, and became an extensive farmer there. At the age of eighteen he was a Colonel in the War of 1812. The genealogy of the family is traced back many generations in the Allen gene alogy, which has been published. On his mother's side he is descended from John Hancock, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Her father was Omri Gates Carrier, son of Omri and Rebekah (Parsons) Carrier. Rebekah Parsons was the daughter of Major Joseph Parsons and Anne (Hancock) Parsons. Anne Hancock, great-great- grandmother of the subject of this sketch, was a sister of the three brothers Hancocks, who came from England bringing a bushel of silver dollars. With a half bushel of these dollars, one of these brothers bought from the Indians what is now the township of Wethersfield, Connecticut, but owing ISAAC. A ALLEN, JR. to some flaw in the title, it was afterwards taken from him by the English. His great-great-grand the f amily. Captain Ephraim Pease was born Feb father, Major Joseph Parsons, was Major of the ruary 4, 172o, and died June 29, 18o1 ; he was a very State Militia and a pensioner from the Revolution wealthy and influential man in Enfield, Connecti ary War. His son Luther Parsons was a Lieuten cut, owning most of the property on Enfield street. ant of the War of 1812, and Captain of the Port of He was one of a committee of seven to consult with New London. His mother's mother, Harriet A. other towns of the colony, and to receive and for (Potter) Carrier, wife of Omri Gates Carrier, was ward money and provisions to those persons in Bos 4 M EN OF PROGRESS". ton a nd vicinity, distressed by the unhappy conse ARVINE, E arluss Porter, Attorney-at-Law, quences of the " Boston Port Bill." Isaac Almarin New Haven, was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Allen, Jr., was educated at the Enfield Street Dis April 19, 1846, son of Kazlett and Mary Ann (Por trict School, the Enfield High School and the ter) Arvine. His father was born in Centerville, Thompsonville High School at Thompsonville, Allegheny county, New York, and was the author of Connecticut. He lived at home on his father's " Cyclopaedia of Anecdotes of Literature and Fine farm until the age of twenty, when he went to New Arts." His father's family came from England and Haven and learned the carpenter's trade with the settled first in New Hampshire and then in Alle contracting firm of Kinney & Phelps. He was con gheny county, New York. On the maternal side sidered an expert workman, and had charge of the he is descended from Daniel Porter who was one work on many large buildings. He spent his even of the original settlers in Waterbury, Connecticut. ings till late at night drawing plans of buildings He was fitted for college at the Episcopal Acad with a view to entering an architect's office. From emy at Cheshire, Connecticut, and afterwards at the 1879 to 1886 his business compelled him to change his residence to different parts of the state, and he worked successively at New Haven, Glen Island, New York, Stony Creek, Ansonia, and again at New Haven, where he worked on the Armory Building on Meadow street, and other important buildings. In January 1884 he entered the archi tectural office of David R. Brown of New Haven, Connecticut, and stayed about one year. There being but little work in the office at that time, he returned to work at his trade. In 1886 he returned to Enfield at his father's request, and built several buildings, also at times working on his father's farm, where he erected a steam grist mill. This however proved unprofitable and he sold out the mill and in March 1889 re-entered the architectural office of David K. Brown of New Haven. One year later he secured a position with F. S. Newman, architect, at Springfield, Massachusetts. In 189 1 he was sent by Mr. Newman to open a branch office in Phila delphia, which is now his former employer's princi pal office. In January 1893 he was sent by Mr. Newman to manage a branch office and superin tend the construction of the Ballerstein Building at E.. P ARVINE. Hartford. This led in April 1896, to his purchase of Mr. Newman's interest in the Hartford office, Connecticut L iterary Institute in Suffield. He then and which business he has since successfully con entered Yale College where he was graduated with ducted. He has planned many apartment houses, the class of 1869. He was then graduated in course business blocks, stores and residences in Hartford at the Yale Law School and was admitted to the and surrounding towns, and is the successful com Bar in 1871. He has practiced law in New Haven petitor for Sage, Allen & Company's new eight-story ever since that date. In 1872 he was candidate on fire-proof office building. He is a member of the Republican ticket for City Clerk of New Haven, Relief Lodge No. 86 of Odd Fellows of New and in 1875 was candidate for Judge of Probate. Haven, and of the St. John's Lodge and Masonic In 1892 he was appointed by Governor Morris Club of Hartford. He was married September 9, Member of the Interstate Commission for the Unifi 189o, to Mary Elizabeth Willson of Thompsonville. cation of the Laws. He was married September 2, They have two children : Willson, born at Enfield, 1 87 1, to Alice Jane Strong, daughter of Artemus L. August 17, 1 89 1, and Charles Almarin Allen, born Strong of South Manchester. They have three sons : in Hartford, June 23, 1894. Palmer, William B. and Edward K. Arvine. MENF O PROGRESS. 5 BALDWIN, W illiam Pitt, M. D., New Haven, Gertrude L ouise Lockwood of Riverside, Connec was born in New Haven, May 12, 1857, son of ticut, who died July 12, 1896. Charles Amos and Hannah Pitt (Smith) Baldwin. His ancestry is English on both sides. From his father he is descended from Richard Baldwin who settled at Milford, Connecticut, in the early days of BALLERSTEIN, R aphael, Wholesale and Retail Mill iner, Hartford, was born in Westphalia, Ger many. After attending the public schools in West phalia, he came to this country at the age of fifteen. In 1865 he commenced his business career as a dealer in millinery goods and established himself in the location where the Cheney Building now stands. At the time of the Bee Hive fire he found quarters farther clown on Main street, where he remained two years. He then moved into the Hudson Building and from there to 412-426 Main street. In 1894 he moved to his present store, 372-378 Main street, where he occupies the first and second floors with the basement. This is the largest and finest store of the kind in the state. WILLIAM P ITT BALDWIN" the c ountry, and on his mother's side he traces his ancestry to Robert Pitt, the younger son of the Earl of Chatham. He was educated at the Dwight Public School and the Hillhouse High School, New Haven. He was graduated from Yale University, Academic Department, in 1888 and from the Yale Medical School in 189o. In 1891 he was at the New York Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital. After a term of service in Ward's Island Hospital, New York, in 1892 he was assistant of Dr. L. P. Jones of Greenwich, Connecticut. He went abroad and spent the winter of 1893-94 in the University of Vienna. Returning to America, he R. B ALLERSTEIN. settled in New Haven in September 1894. He has been junior surgeon at Grace Hospital, New Haven, The f irm of R. Ballerstein & Company consists of since 1894, and Sanitary Officer and Medical Direc Raphael Ballerstein and Charles Dillon. The firm tor of the Connecticut Masonic Home, Wallingford, employs two hundred clerks and sales-ladies, and since 1895. He is a member of Wooster Lodge, has a branch office in Paris for the purchase of its No. 19, F. & A. M., of the Young Men's Republi stock which is directly imported.