Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Lafayette Consistory, of Bridgeport; Pyramid
Temple, Nobles of the Mystic
Shrine ; the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, of Stamford ; Excelsior
Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of Stamford.
He is also a member of the Stamford Historical
Society, and the Stamford Suburban
Club and Yacht Club. In political
affiliation, Dr. Borg is a Republican. He
was chairman of the Stamford Board of
Health for two years ; was chairman of
the Board of Finance for two years ; and
for two years was member of the Common
Council. In all his public life he
exemplifies the same high ideals which
have made his scientific work a success.
Dr. Borg married Julia Bjorklund,
daughter of Charles A. Bjorklund, of
Bridgeport, and they have one daughter,
Margaret. The family are members of
St. John's Episcopal Church of Stamford
and actively interested in the social life
of the church.
WEED, William Maury,
Banker, Soldier. Public Official.
As banker, soldier, and man of affairs,
Mr. Weed has been for many years much
in the public eye, but has now withdrawn
from the turmoil of the arena to lead the
life of a country gentleman on his beau-
tiful estate on the shore of Long Island
Sound, his post office addrss being Noro-
ton, Connecticut. Mr. Weed is a rep-
resentative of one of the oldest Colonial
families of the State of Connecticut.
The venerable home of this ancient race
is still standing on the Boston Post Road
in Darien, Connecticut. It is the oldstyled
structure of about two hundred
years ago and was built to replace the
first house built by Jonas Weed, which
was destroyed by fire. The original
chimney escaped the general demolition
and the house now standing was built
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
4S0
around it, thus preserving it as the center
of this dwelling.
Henry Davis Weed, born August 30,
1803, died February i, 1875, grandfather
of William Maury Weed, and a son of
"Gentleman" John Weed, went to Savan-
nah, Georgia, when a boy, making the
greater part of the journey on foot, for
that was long before the days of railroads,
and at the time of his departure there
was, probably, no vessel bound for the
port to which he desired to go. In 1812,
in association with his brother, Nathaniel
B. Weed, he established a hardware busi-
ness in Savannah under the firm name of
N. B. Weed & Company. This business,
which is still carried on by descendants,
is the oldest hardware concern in the
United States. In the course of time Mr.
Weed became the head of the firm, the
name being changed to H. D. Weed &
Company. In its beginning the business
was retail, but its character was changed
from time to time in conformity to varying
conditions and in order to improve
new or larger opportunities. For some
years the business was largely wholesale,
reaching out into neighboring States and
supplying the country stores. When the
Civil War broke out there was no money
in the South and Mr. Weed was not able
to make his collections, it being custom-
ary then for merchants to carry their
patrons on their books until such time as
crops were marketed. Mr. Weed ac-
cepted cotton in payment of his accounts
and stored it in a building in Savannah.
When General Sherman's army entered
the city the cotton was destroyed. It had
always been Mr. Weed's custom to spend
his summers in the family's old home
town of Darien and he made no excep-
tion during the war, for he ran the block-
ade no fewer than eight times. He put in
a claim against the United States Government
for the cotton destroyed, and re-