Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

career, which he began in March, 1876,
when he became a fire insurance solicitor
in Middletown, Connecticut, for the Agricultural
Insurance Company of Watertown,
New York. There, Mr. Brainerd
became thoroughly familiar with the
details of the fire insurance business, and
in 1878 removed to Hartford, Connecticut,
and became a canvasser for the State
Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Hart-
ford. One year later, he accepted a posi-
tion as general agent and adjuster for the
Jersey City Fire Insurance Company,
with which company he remained for
seven years, until 1886. He then entered
the employ of the Equitable Mortgage
Company of New York City as a negotiator
of bonds. The following year he
was elected secretary of the company, and
in 1890 manager of the bond department.
During Mr. Brainerd's visits to Hart-
ford in connection with the bond business,
he formed a close friendship with Presi-
dent James M. Allen, of the Hartford
Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance
Company, and through him was offered,
in 1894, a position as assistant treasurer
of the company, which he accepted and
returned to Hartford. He was elected
treasurer of the company in 1899; in 1903
became a director, the death of Mr. Allen
occurred in that year and Mr. Brainerd
was elected president, July 12, 1904, to
succeed Mr. Allen. He continued in that
office until his death, which occurred at
his late home, No. 80 Washington street,
Hartford, October 11, 1916, and under his
able management the business of the company
had largely developed.
While the duties of his office, as presi-
dent of the above named company, occupied
the greater part of his time, Mr.
Brainerd also found time for other inter-
ests. He was a director in the Aetna Fire
Insurance Company, the Hartford Aetna
National Bank, the Security Trust Com-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
50
pany, the Case, Lockwood & Brainard
Company, the Capewell Horsenail Company,
the Smyth Manufacturing Company,
Swift & Company of Chicago, and
the National Surety Company of New
York ;
was vice-president of the Society
for Savings, of Hartford, and was a member
of the loaning committee of the same.
He was one of the board of five trustees
appointed in 1914 by the United States
Department of Justice to take control of
the trolley holdings of the New York,
New Haven & Hartford Railroad in Con-
necticut. His death is the third in the
board as originally appointed. He was
elected a member of the Board of Park
Commissioners, May 1, 1909, and served
as president of same, and at the time of
his death he was commissioner for Goodwin
Park and a member of the finance
committee of the board. He was much
interested in the park development of the
city. He was a deacon of the Center
Church and a member of the prudential
committee of the same ; was a member of
the board of trustees of the Hartford
Theological Seminary, and chairman of
its executive committee, and a member
of the Hartford Club and the Hartford
Golf Club.
Mr. Brainerd married, October 28, 1903,
Lucy Morgan Brainard, a daughter of the
late Mayor Leverett and Mary B. Brainard.
Children : Mary Leverett, Lyman
Bushnell, Jr., and Lucy Bulkeley. He
was survived by his widow, three chil-
dren, two brothers, Charles Brainerd, of
Middletown, and Asa Brainerd, of West-
chester, and one sister, Mrs. Porter
Adams, of Westchester.
VARIELL, Arthur Davis,
Physician.
The medical profession in the city of
Waterbury, Connecticut, is represented