Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Massachusetts, after which he became
assistant superintendent of the New-
Haven Gas Company. He now lives at
the Highland Court Hotel, Hartford. 2.
Edward F., born July 10, 1870; educated
in the Boston Technical School, served
with the Hackensack (New Jersey) Gas
Light Company, the East Portland (Ore-
gon) Gas Company, as superintendent,
now interested in orange growing in Alhambra,
California, where his home is
one of the beautiful show places of the
district. He married Mrs. Florinda Lysle.
STEVENS, Burr Edward,
Pablisher.
In the history of the life of Burr E.
Stevens is found another example of the
result of industry and pertinacity in the
pursuit of an aim. He was born January
20, 1875, in Russell County, Kansas, the
eldest son of Frederick C. and Harriet A.
(White) Stevens. The father was born
in 1846, in London, England, and came to
America in 1867, settling at Bridgeport,
Connecticut, where he was employed as a
carpenter, later as a contractor in the
Howe sewing machine shops. When the
Kingman colony was organized to settle
in Kansas, Mr. Stevens joined it and settled
in Russell County, that State, where
he engaged in stock growing and agriculture
for a period of twenty years. A
member of the same colony was Harriet
A. White, born in Norwalk, Connecticut,
in 1859, daughter of Henry A. and Mary
E. (Smith) White. She was married to
Mr. Stevens in March, 1873, ^^^ came
with him to Bridgeport, this State, and
died there in 1916, at the age of fiftyseven
years. Mr. Stevens was employed
by the Post Publishing Company of
Bridgeport in its mechanical department
until his retirement in 1910. He died
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
162
there in 1922, aged seventy-six years. His
children numbered eight sons and four
daughters, of whom seven sons and three
daughters grew up and are now living.
The eldest of these, Burr E. Stevens, re-
ceived most of his formal education in
the frontier schools of Kansas, and early
turned his attention to industry. At the
age of eighteen years he became an apprentice
in the office of the Bridgeport
"Post," to learn the art of printing, and
his faithful attention to his duties is
evidenced by his rapid advancement in
the establishment. At the end of twentysix
years' service, when he left to engage
in business elsewhere, he was vice-pres-
ident of the Post Publishing Company, in
charge of the mechanical department of
the plant. From assistant foreman he
was advanced to foreman, and from 1916
to 1919 was vice-president and mechanical
superintendent. In the last named year
he went to Middletown, and organized the
Press Publishing Company, having purchased
the plant and good will of the Middletown
"Press," in association with
Elmer S. Hubbell, a former associate in
business. A certain amount of stock was
taken by Middletown merchants and
others, and the history of the newspaper
under new management is one of pros-
perity and good will. Mr. Stevens is
president of the company, Mr. Hubbell
is secretary. With an able corps of edi-
tors and mechanical experts, every department
operates with regularity, and
the Middletown "Press" is one of the r
best representatives of its field found in
the newspaper industry anywhere in the
country. Outside of this establishment
Mr. Stevens has investments in Western
ranching, and all his interests have been
acquired unaided, except by natural apti-
tude, by faithful application and a con-
sideration of the rights of others. He is