Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Kirk Worrell Dyer was born January
31, 1882, in Rock Falls, Illinois, and was a
small child when his parents removed to
California. There he attended the public
schools, graduating from the high school
in 1899, and was subsequently a student
at Throop Institute, now the California
Institute of Technology, from which he
was graduated in 1902 with the degree of
S. B. in Chemistry. For some time following
he was employed as chemist in
a beet sugar factory and was subsequently
employed in the city treasurer's
office of Pasadena, where he was chief
deputy treasurer and tax collector for two
years. Pursuing further studies at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in
the years of 1905-07, he received the degree
of Bachelor of Science. In the meantime
he pursued a summer course at the
University of Greenoble, France, and was
for one year following this chemical engineer
for the Opaque Shade Cloth Company
of West Pullman, Illinois. After
spending a short time in California in 1910
he purchased a half interest in the Frisbie
Motor Company of Middletown, becom-
ing its secretary and treasurer, and in
April, 1920, succeeded B. A. Frisbie as
president of the company. Mr. Dyer has
contributed in no small degree to the
great growth and prosperity of this institution.
He occupies a beautiful home
in Cromwell, formerly the home of the
late Frank Allison Pierson of that town.
Mr. Dyer is still a member of the Con-
gregational Church at Pasadena. In po-
litical principle he is a Republican and has
been allied with the Progressive wing of
that party. In 1913 he represented Crom-
well in the State Legislature and was sub-
sequently a candidate on the Progressive
ticket for member of the State Senate.
He has been several years a member of
the Cromwell School Committee, of which
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
182
he was chairman five years. He now
represents the county and is secretary of
the board in control of the Norwich State
Hospital. In 1907 Mr. Dyer was married
to Ruth (Coe) Pierson, widow of Frank
Allison Pierson, born in Providence,
Rhode Island, daughter of Orian Ward
Coe and granddaughter of Osborn Coe of
Cromwell and Pasadena. Mr. and Mrs.
Pierson were the parents of a son, Frank
Orian Ward Pierson, who now resides
with Mr. and Mrs. Dyer. The latter are
the parents of two daughters, Esther
Lavinia and Margaret Elizabeth.
ATKINS, Thomas Jefferson,
Agricnltnrist.
A prosperous and well known farmer
of West Long Hill district, Middletown,
Middlesex County, Connecticut, Mr. At-
kins is of English descent, and resides
on a homestead which has been in the
possession of the Atkins family for generations.
The name of Atkins bears many
spellings in early American records ; in
fact, it is still used under various spellings
in the United States. Among the old
English spellings is Atkyns, and it fre-
quently appears in this country as Adkins.
Several of the early New England immi-
grants bore the name, including Joseph
Atkins of Roxbury in 1630 and Abraham
Atkins, residing in Boston in 1642.
Luke Atkins was in New Haven as
early as 1639, and married there (second)
May I, 165 1, Mary, daughter of Deacon
Richard Piatt of New Haven. He does
not appear in New Haven records after
that date and probably moved to Middle-
town. His widow married, January 3,
1677, in Middletown, Thomas Wetmore.
Josiah Atkins, undoubtedly a son of Luke
by the latter's first marriage, lived in
Middletown and received four acres of