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School, whence he was graduated in the
class of 1880. He became identified with
Bridgeport in a business way in 1882, although
he made his home in Newington
until 1895, when he took up his residence
in Bridgeport. As a boy his ambition was
to be a farmer, and one would have to
look far to find a more attractive farm
than the one he was born on. For a
dozen years he managed his father's farm,
his father being interested in the latter
part of his life in other pursuits. This
love of the soil has never left him, and in
spite of a busy life, he has always found
some time for farming. Going from
school back to the farm, it was a natural
sequence that drew him into the fertilizer
business. From 1882 to 1895 he acted as
traveling salesman for the National Fer-
tilizer Company of Bridgeport. In 1895
he formed a partnersip with John A.
Barri, who was one of the incorporators
and treasurer of the National Fertilizer
Company, under the name of the Berk-
shire Mills Company, for the purpose of
manufacturing fertilizers and dealing in
grain and coal. They rebuilt the old
Berkshire Mill at North Bridgeport and
operated it until 1890, when the partner-
ship was dissolved by mutual consent,
Mr. Barri retaining the coal and grain, and
Mr. Kirkham the fertilizer business. Mr.
Kirkham then conducted the fertilizer
business individually under the name of
Berkshire Fertilizer Company. In 1900
Mr. Kirkham bought water-front property
on Harbor Street, on Cedar Creek, Black
Rock Harbor. He erected a plant, built
a dock, and thought he had room for fu-
ture expansion ; but the business grew so
rapidly that soon he was cramped for
space, and in 1910 he bought of the Hep-
penstall Forge Company the plant of the
old Bridgeport Forge Company at the
foot of Howard Avenue, on the east, or
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
125
water side of the street. This present
location with railroad sidings and five
hundred and forty feet of water-front pro-
vides ample facilities for taking care of
the larger business of to-day, which has
continued to grow uninterruptedly. The
company also has built and operates a
castor oil plant for the manufacture of
castor oil. The castor meal, which is a
by-product, is used as a fertilizer. The
business was incorporated in 1913 with
Thomas A. Kirkham as president and
treasurer, which offices he still fills. Mr.
Kirkham is a member of the United Con-
gregational Church of Bridgeport.
Mr. Kirkham married. May 23, 1906,
Fanny Leffingwell Brown, daughter of
Martin and Elizabeth (Kirkham) Brown
of New Britain, Connecticut.
MANWARING, Hon. Moses Warren,
Senator, City Treasurer, Business Man.
The sudden death of Moses Warren
Manwaring on January 23, 1925, took
from Bridgeport a citizen widely known
and respected in business and political
circles for his active and unwearied con-
cern in civic matters and his high unself-
ishness and personal integrity. He repre-
sented the best type of citizen, and his
passing was felt not only by his friends
as a personal loss, but by many who
scarcely knew him as a loss to the city
which he had served for years in many
capacities.
He was born in East Lyme, Connecticut,
August 18, 1845, of Allen W. and
Lydia (Warren) Manwaring. On his
mother's side he was descended from
Richard Warren, one of the first arrivals
in the "Mayflower," from Moses Warren,
captain in the Revolutionary Army ; and
from Moses Warren, son of the preceding,
who aided Moses Cleveland in making a