Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

y chronic dysentery. His life was des-
paired of, and his body wasted almost to a
skeleton. He started for home. He got
passage on a sailing ship bound for Cen-
tral America, where he landed and spent
some time recuperating his health and
waiting for an opportunity to cross to the
Atlantic side of the isthmus. The day
he landed he bought a coarse grass sack
holding a bushel of sweet oranges for ten
cents, including the sack. He told of hav-
ing sucked one hundred oranges that first
day, and declared that almost immediately
he was cured of the chronic com-
plaint that had refused to respond to
medicine. That grass sack was taken
home and preserved for many years. Mr.
Kirkham crossed the isthmus by way of
ox-carts and Lake Nicaragua. The ox-
carts were made with wooden axles, the
wheels were solid sections sawed from
large round logs. A native ran alongside,
pulling large green leaves from the road-
side and thrusting them into the axles to
take the place of grease and to alleviate
the screaming of the wheels. The route
followed was strewn with the machinery
and tools that had been left by Commo-
dore Vanderbilt when he abandoned his
attempt to construct the Nicaraguan ca-
nal. John Stoddard Kirkham arrived at
his old home early in 185 1, and entered
with a will the vocation of farming on his
father's property, and on a farm adjoining,
which he bought. He also followed in
his father's footsteps by teaching school
for a number of winters. The farm still
is in the possession of the Kirkham family.
In 1870 Mr. Kirkham played a prom-
inent part in bringing about the incorpo-
ration of Newington as a separate town.
He was an ardent member of the Democratic
party and a leader in municipal
aflfaivs in his locality. He was the first
town clerk of Newington, and filled that
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
office for many years. He was also chairman
of the school board and acting school
visitor. He was a member of the General
Assembly in 1877 and served his district
[24
in the State Senate in 1887. He was a
candidate for lieutenant-governor on the
ticket with Governor Luzon B. Morris at
the time when the rule was in effect that
required a majority over all to elect a
candidate for State office. He received a
plurality, but the election was thrown in-
to the Legislature, and the minority can-
didates were declared elected. Mr. Kirkham
was a member of the Connecticut
State Board of Agriculture for many
years. He was a charter member and for
many years secretary of the State Dairymen's
Association. He was a charter
member of the Newington Grange, Patrons
of Husbandry. He was a deacon
and for many years treasurer of the New-
ington Congregational Church and superintendent
of the Sunday School. He mar-
ried, December i, 1859, Harriet P. Atwood,
born May 17, 1827, died December
I, 1882, daughter of Josiah and Prudence
(Kellogg) Atwood, of the Atwood fam-
ily, whose members were pioneer settlers
of Hartford and Newington. Their children
: I. Frances H., married Henry
Laurens Kellogg, of Newington, both de-
ceased. 2. Thomas Atwood. 3. John H.,
who is a prominent attorney of New Brit-
ain, Connecticut. 4. Mary Atwood (de-
ceased), married Roderick Whittlesey
Hine of Lebanon, Connecticut, a graduate
of Yale College, and who for many
years has been superintendent of schools
at Dedham, Massachusetts.
(Vni) Thomas Atwood Kirkham, son
of John Stoddard and Harriet Prudence
(Atwood) Kirkham, was born March 7,
1862, at Newington, Connecticut. He was
educated in the public schools of his native
town and at the New Britain High