Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

she reared them to lives of usefulness.
She was born in 1800 and died in 1859, in
New York City. Her senior son, Thomas
Pascall, lived many years in New York,
where he died. A daughter, Margaret
Pickering Pascall, founder of the Pascall
Institute, on Lexington Avenue, New
York, was long at its head.
Richard H. Pascall, junior son of his
parents, was but seven years of age when
he came with his widowed mother and
her family to America. His youth was
passed in the city of New York, where he
enjoyed the benefit of public schools and
the free academy, now known as the Col-
lege of the City of New York. His strong
mechanical bent was early manifested,
and was developed by a course in mechanics
at Cooper Institute. In 1862 he
left this institution to enlist in defense of
the integrity of the nation, becoming a
member of Company A, 71st New York
Volunteer Infantry. After the completion
of his term of enlistment in 1863, he became
sergeant of Company K, 37th New
York Volunteers. This was one of the
regiments called home from the front
to suppress the draft riots in New York
City. After peace was established Mr.
Pascall joined the New York Militia and
rose through the various grades until he
became Captain, receiving his commission
from Governor Fenton in 1870. This service
was broken by his removal to Con-
necticut in that year. In October, 1865,
Captain Pascall became associated with
his cousin, Thomas R. Pickering, in the
production of the Pickering Governor for
steam engines. This governor was a remarkable
innovation in mechanics, and
has grown steadily in use until the Port-
land factory is the one with the largest
production in the United States of gov-
ernors distributed to every civilized
country. When the plant was removed
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
from New York to Portland in 1870 to
occupy a new factory built for the busi-
ness, Mr. Pascall was foreman, and he
became superintendent in 1878. Long
168
before 1903 the original Portland plant
had become too small to accommodate
the work, and in that year an entirely
new plant of brick and stone was con-
structed, adjoining the Air Line Railroad,
with switching facilities, where
greater convenience and increased capac-
ity were secured. May i, 1888, the busi-
ness was incorporated as The Pickering
Governor Company, with Thomas R.
Pickering as president. Upon his death
in 1895, John H. Hall succeeded him and
was in turn succeeded by Mr. Pascall in
1903. Through the superior business ability
of Mr. Hall and the skillful management
of the plant by Mr. Pascall, the
production and sales were greatly in-
creased, being doubled in one year. In
1890 the first private electrical plant in
Portland was established at this factory,
and an independent system of fire pro-
tection is also maintained. Captain Pas-
call was a director and vice-president of
the Portland First National Bank many
years, that was later, in 1925, merged in
The Portland Trust Company, when he
became chairman of the board.
He has always been deeply interested
in advancement of educational facilities
for the town, taking leadership in promoting
and carrying to completion the
erection of a modern building of brick and
stone for use of the grades and accommo-
dation of the town high school, and as
chairman greatly advancing the standing
of the town schools.
With natural determination and fixed
principles he has always sustained the
Republican party as the exponent of his
ideas in good government, but has rarely
consented to be a candidate for office.