Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Hartford County Tobacco Growers' In-
surance Company for protection against
hail, and became director and president
of that corporation. A man of excellent
judgment, a good organizer, and mana-
ger, a popular employer, and possessed of
superabundant energy, Mr. Ellsworth
succeeded well in his business undertak-
ings, and took interested part in many of
the public movements in his town. He
was a member of the Village Improvement
Committee ; was chairman of the
comittee of improvements of the Wind-
sor Cemetery ; and was president of
Moore's Park Association for several
years. Mr. Ellsworth was one of the
most prominent of the Windsor townsmen
in the movement to establish the
Windsor Driving Park, and later devoted
much time to directing the work of transforming
the tract of forest into the beau-
tiful park it now is. For years he has
been identified with church movements,
was chairman of the First Ecclesiastical
Society of the Congregational Church at
Windsor, and chairman of the First
School Society Committee. In town ad-
ministration he has been on the board of
selectmen for many terms, much of the
time as first selectman.
On September 16, 1874, he married
Laura J. Fowler, of Windsor, and soon
thereafter made his home in a house that
had been built on his land, with bricks of
his own manufacture. Mrs. Ellsworth
was an estimable lady, accomplished and
refined. She was born in Windsor, Jan-
uary 3, 1856, and died July 9, 19x16, esteemed
for her good works in religious,
social, philanthropic and patriotic directions.
She attended Wilbraham Academy,
and later became prominent in the
proceedings of the Connecticut Society
of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
a member of the Abigail Wolcott
Ellsworth Chapter. She was a daughter
Conn—5—
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
8
1
of Major-General Amos Fowler, who was
the son of Amos Fowler, a noted Revolu-
tionary soldier, aide-de-camp of General
Washington at the battle of Long Island,
and scion of a Colonial family resident in
Lebanon, Connecticut, since pioneer days
of that settlement. Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth
were the parents of the following
children : Minnie E., who married W. S.
Hastings, of Windsor, and they have chil-
dren : William E. and Laura E. ; Ella M.,
who married J. A. Oakes, of Hartford
Alice L., who is the wife of J. D. Wood-
worth, of Suffield, and they have children
: Raymond H., Ellsworth D. and
Philip Fowler, of further men-
Ella M. ;
tion.
Philip Fowler Ellsworth, only son of
Horace House and Laura J. (Fowler)
Ellsworth, was born December i, 1883, in
Windsor, and his descent connects with
many of the well-known Colonial families
of New England. One not previously
mentioned herein was the Miller line, with
which he is related through his grandmother,
Emily (Miller) Ellsworth, who
belonged to a family originally from Germany,
the American progenitor of which
came to this country to act as chemist for
Governor Belcher, of Massachusetts, who
started the copper mine in Newgate
Prison about 1700 and into whose family
Miller married. Philip Fowler Ellsworth
attended the public schools of Windsor,
later proceeding to Wilbraham Academy,
from which he was graduated in 1903. He
had resolved to enter professional life, his
inclination being to the engineering
branch ; therefore, after graduating at
Wilbraham, he went for a civil engineer-
ing course to the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute. There he had a good record,
and succeeded in gaining the degree of
Bachelor of Science. In 1908 he became
connected with A. B. Alderson, of West
Hartford, a well-known civil engineer. In
;