Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

field, born September 14, 1647, and died
in 1724. He died at the age of ninety-six
years, March 23, 1720.
Their son, Ebenezer Bliss, was born
July 29, 1683, in Springfield. He was a
farmer. He married, in January, 1707,
Mary, daughter of John and Mary (Clark)
Gaylord, of Windsor, Connecticut, where
in 1715 Ebenezer Bliss purchased sixtythree
acres of land. He died September
7. 1777-
Their son, Jedediah Bliss, was born Au-
gust 17, 1710, and followed his father's
trade of tanner. He married, July 2, 1733,
Rachel, daughter of Joseph and Mary
Sheldon, of Suffield, Connecticut. Jede-
diah Bliss was noted for his eccentricity.
Their son, Zenas Bliss, was born February
3, 1756, and married, in December,
1784, Mary Babcock, born August 20,
1758, and died September 25, 1824. He
died May 26, 1822.
Their son, Elisha Bliss, was born November
25, 1787, in Springfield, Massa-
chusetts, and married, March 31, 1816,
Almira, daughter of Rufus and Adula
Sikes, who was born October 31, 1790.
Their son, Elisha Bliss, Jr., was born
October 13, 1821, in Springfield, and died
in 1880. He married, November 3, 1841,
Lois Ann, daughter of Micah and Tryphona
Thayer. The latter was descended
from Richard Thayer, who came from
England and settled in Braintree, Massa-
chusetts, in 1636. Elisha Bliss, Jr., was a
resident at different times of New York
City and Hartford. He was the president
and manager of the American Pub-
lishing Company, a business name that
had been adopted prior to 1859 an d which
had passed through hands of several owners
until April, 1865, when it was formally
incorporated under that name. This
company was one of the pioneers in the
subscription book business and one of the
most successful.
Francis Edward Bliss, son of Elisha
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
71
Bliss, received his education in the schools
of Springfield, Massachusetts, and pre-
pared himself for the taking up of the
work managed by his father. He succeeded
to this position upon the death of
the latter, and he brought to the respon-
sibilities of this position a mind well
trained by systematic study and by a wide
and varied experience. Mr. Bliss spent
several winters in logging camps in
Michigan, and at the outbreak of the Civil
War sought to enlist in the defense of his
country, but his physical condition,
coupled with his youth, were barriers to
his acceptance ; but such was his enthusiasm
that during the war he made several
visits to the army on the field. When he
had attained his majority he entered the
employ of the Ninth National Bank of
New York. His keen intelligence and
close application won rapid promotion.
He was also in the employ of the Tenth
National Bank for a short period. Mr.
Bliss came to Hartford in 1866, and became
identified with the American Publishing
Company, of which his father was
president. In 1868 he was made secre-
tary and treasurer of the company. In
1887 he became president of the company
and continued in this position until his
death. Under his able managership the
business continued to grow and prosper.
He was far-sighted and progressive, and
while by no means a visionary, he possessed
a constructive imagination. The
company began the publication of Mark
Twain's books as far back as 1869, when
"Innocents Abroad" was brought out.
This was followed in turn by "Roughing
It," "The Gilded Age," "The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer," "A Tramp Abroad,"
"The Stolen White Elephant," "The
Prince and the Pauper," and "Following
the Equator ;" later a uniform edition of
Mark Twain's works were published. In
1905 the company published a uniform
edition of Charles Dudley Warner's writ-