ALFRED DANA CADY

BIOGRAPHY

AS RECORDED IN:

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF TOLLAND AND WINDHAM COUNTIES CONNECTICUT.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS AND OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLED FAMILIES.

PUBLISHER: J.H.BEERS & CO., CHICAGO; 1903 P. 282

ALFRED DANA CADY was born May 3, 1822, in West Stafford, Tolland county, and is a son of Garner Cady, who was a son of Isaac Cady.

Garner Cady was born in Pomfret, Conn., and died in West Stafford. His remains rest in the cemetery near Glaziers. When he was about seven years old he was bound out, his father having died, and he was reared in Thompson, Conn. His father had bought a farm in Monson, but was never permitted to live on it, having died the fall of the year after its purchase. The day the son was twenty-one he came to the home place, making the journey on horseback. He settled on Stafford street, where for three years he ran a farm on “shares,” with Maj. Phelps, and then bought the Abner Wood place, a farm of a hundred acres, on which his life was spent, and where he died at the age of eighty-seven. In politics he was always a Democrat, and represented Stafford more times in the General Assembly than has any other man to date. In 1825 he was elected a member of the Lower House, and was subsequently re-elected eight times to the same position. Always active in town affairs, he was selectman, justice of the peace, assessor and a member of the board of relief. Though not a member he attended the Universalist Church.

Garner Cady was married to Susannah Johnson, who died in 1825. She was a daughter of Jonathan Johnson, and her remains were laid to rest in the cemetery near Glaziers. They had a family of twelve children. (1) Alvira, who was born in Stafford, Conn., died in Warren, Mass., at the age of ninety-five years. She married Alden Blodgett, who was both a farmer and a school teacher of Stafford. He taught until he was over fifty years of age.

(2) Garner, Jr., born in 1805, in West Stafford, died in 1852. Emily, his wife, was a daughter of Taylor Greene, of Stafford. In his early life
Garner, Jr., was a foundryman, but in his later years engaged in the livery business. A runaway horse threw him out and killed him instantly. He was the father of six children, among whom was Lieut. Gov. Cady.

(3) Phineas Green, born in Stafford, Conn., died in Springfield, Mass., where he was a molder. His wife, Almeda Webber, of Stafford, bore him three children.

(4) Alanson, born in West Stafford, died in North Adams, Mass., where he worked as a machinist, and had a flourishing. Jane Bradford, his wife, bore him ten children.

(5) Hannah, born in West Stafford, died in Hartford, Conn. She married Abijah Blodgett, who like his father, was town clerk in Stafford, Conn., their united records extending over fifty years. They had no issue.

(6) Maryette was born in West Stafford, where she died unmarried.

(7) Isaac, who was born in West Stafford, died in Stafford. In his early life he was a machinist, but in later years became a farmer. He married Susan Tinker, of Ohio, and lived in Peoria, Ill., where they had five children.

(8) Andrew Jackson, born in West Stafford, lived in North Adams, where he had made his home since he was sixteen years of age, and is now eight-six. His trade was that of a dresser. His wife, Harriet Stroud, was a native of Stamford, Vt. They have had two children.

(9) Francis Augustus, born in West Stafford, died Feb. 17, 1890, in Ashfield, Mass. For many years he was a merchant and kept a general country store. His first wife, Harriet Hodges, of North Adams, Mass., bore him two children, and his second wife, Harriet, bore him one.

(10) George Franklin, born March 5, 1820, in Stafford, married Margaret Hyde, of Stafford, by whom he has had two children. His trade is that of a molder. (11) Alfred Dana. (12) Giddings Hyde, born in Stafford, died in Stafford Hollow, at the age of forty-seven, unmarried.

Isaac Cady, born in Thompson, Conn., was the grandfather of Alfred D. and George F. Cady; he married Sabria Green, and died in 1777, during the Revolutionary war, in which he bore a gallant part. He was the father of five children. (1) Henry Green lived and died in Monson. Under old English law he inherited one-half the estate of his father. He married Margaret Foote. (2) Isaac went to Vermont, where he died. His wife was a Miss Winter, of West Stafford. (3) Garner, noted above. (4) Tamer married a Mr. Tupper, of Boston, where they lived and died. (5) A daughter married Jonathan Ellis, of Thompson, Connecticut.

The Cady family history begins with Nicholas Cady, who married Judith Knapp, a daughter of William Knapp, and about 1668 moved to Groton, Massachusetts.

James Cady, son of Nicholas, was born in 1655, at Watertown, removed with his family to Groton, Mass., where he married Hannah, a daughter of Elias Barrow, and died in 1690.

Sergeant John Cady, supposed to be the son of James, born about 1680, lived at different times at Groton, Plainfield, Canterbury, Tolland, Willington, Windsor, and Coventry, Conn., and died at Windsor, Conn., in 1751. He was twice married, and the name of each wife was Elizabeth, the second wife being a member of the Mathers family.

John Cady, a son of Sergeant John was born in Groton, Mass., Aug. 7, 1699, and was married in 1729 to Hannah Abbott, who came from Tolland. It is tradition that he resided in Coventry, and had three sons, Asabel, Nahum, and Amos.

Garner Cady was a quiet and unassuming man, of most industrious habits, and was an enthusiastic farmer. Not inclined to debate, he was a wide reader, a well informed man and a deep thinker.

Alfred D. Cady was reared in West Stafford, where he received his education, completing his school days with one term at Wilbraham Academy. When he was twenty years old he went to North Adams, Mass., where he was a clerk three years in the store of his brother, Francis A. At the end of that time he came back to the farm, which he made his home until 1866. That year he removed to Stafford Hollow to become proprietor of the “Furnace Hollow Hotel.” This he personally conducted until 1875. In 1877 he purchased the “Eastford House,” at Eastford, Conn., which he conducted six years, when he bought the “Monson House,” at Monson, Mass., of which he was landlord for four months, at the end of this period selling out and returning to Stafford Hollow, as he took a deep interest in the development of that pretty and
attractive village. There he built his present residence and five other houses, and is still engaged in the real estate business. He came to
Stafford Hollow for the sake of the educational advantages it afforded his children, though he still holds the homestead farm and has other extensive real estate investments. His family attends the Universalist Church, though he himself is a Free Thinker. Mr. Cady is a Democrat, and has been assessor, being chairman for thirteen years. He is probably the best posted man in Stafford upon the value of real estate. He was first selectman three years, and was on the board two years, making five in all. For several terms he was on the board of relief, and has been tax collector and constable for the West Stafford district, and was justice of the peace several years.

Mr. Cady was married, Aug. 23, 1851, to Ruhamah, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Gladdings) Cummings, of Stafford. Her father was a farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Cady came: (1) Florence, born Nov. 21, 1852, who married Almer D. Brown, of Stafford; (2) Arthur Maker, born April 17, 1854, a wealthy member of the firm of Cady & Lumbard, meat and groceries, in Hartford, who married Anna Cross, of Stafford Hollow, and is the father of Esther and Ethel; (3) Effie, born July 9, 1857, who married Richard G. Beebe, of Stafford, and is now living in Los Angeles, Cal.; (4) Herbert Frederick, born Nov. 25, 1860, who married Lottie Weston, and has a general store in Stafford Hollow; (5)
Jennie, born June 28, 1864, who married A.W. King, a lawyer of Willimantic, and is the mother of one son, John H.; (6) Chella Blanche, born Nov. 24, 1871, living unmarried in Los Angeles, California.

Reproduced by:

Linda D. Pingel – great-great granddaughter of Cyrus White of Rockville, Ct.