Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

trade to take up the cultivation of tobacco.
He was most successful in this ;
his farm
of five hundred acres extended into the
township of Hamden county, Massachusetts.
His political affiliations were with
the Whig party, and although he was
most active and interested in the public
affairs, he did not desire nor seek public
office of any kind. He was a prominent
member of the Baptist church. Mr. Halladay
married (second) Clarissa Kendall,
born in Suffield, March 10, 1817, a daughter
of Simon and Elizabeth (Kent) Kendall.
Mrs. Clarissa (Kendall) Halladay
was a descendant of a very old New Eng-
land family. Captain Elihu Kent, her
grandfather, and her great-grandfather,
Major Elihu Kent, fought in the Revolution,
and his great-grandson, Edmund
Halladay, has in his possession a flint lock
musket, used by Captain Kent, and which
is beyond monetary value in his estima-
tion.
Major Elihu Kent was captain of the
Suffield Company of Minute-Men, who
marched in the Lexington Alarm, April,
1775, Major of the First Regiment of
Militia of the Connecticut State Troops.
Promoted from captain, May, 1777, and
served during the war until 1783. Colonel
Elihu Kent, Jr., was born December 15,
1757, went with his father, Major Elihu
Kent, into the Revolutionary Army, and
was captured by the British on Long
Island and was confined for a long time as
a prisoner of war in the old sugar house
in New York, where he suffered greatly.
Edmund Halladay, the son of Edmund
Tobin and Clarissa (Kendall) Halladay,
was born in Suffield, May 8, 1852, and
died October 16, 1914. He attended the
schools of his native town, and Hillside
Academy (the Connecticut Literary In-
stitute). After finishing his schooling he
settled down in earnest to the work of
raising tobacco and general farming. He
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53
did a great amount of experimenting in
tobacco culture for the United States
Government. His political beliefs were
strongly Republican, and he filled many
offices for this party. He was constable
for three years, and assessor for the same
period of time. In 1884 ne was elected to
the State Legislature, and served on the
Committee of Cities and Boroughs. In
1886, and for eleven consecutive years, he
served as selectman, and during this
period was given the position of chairman
of the board. While Mr. Halladay was
selectman, there were twenty miles of
stone road constructed, together with
seven iron bridges. The schools also
showed a great improvement under his
administration. From 1907 to 1914 he
was the town clerk of Suffield, elected on
both the Republican and Democratic
tickets. For five years, January, 1908,
to July, 1913, he was postmaster. At the
time of the St. Louis Exposition, Mr.
Halladay was chosen to take charge of
the Connecticut tobacco exhibit there,
and also in the Jamestown Exposition.
He was a director of the Connecticut
State Agricultural College at Storrs, Connecticut,
for many years, and also was an
organizer of the Suffield Agricultural
Society. Mr. Halladay held high standing
in the Masonic order ; he was a mem-
ber of Apollo Lodge, No. 59, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons ; Washington
Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons
Suffield Council, No. 23, Royal and Select
Masters (all of Suffield) ; and Washington
Commandery, No. 1, Knights Templar,
and Sphinx Temple, Ancient Arabic
Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of
Hartford ; as well as of the Order of
United American Mechanics, Lyman
Council, and Gideon Granger Lodge,
Knights of Pythias, both of Suffield. Mr.
Halladay also was a member of the
Tobacco Growers' Association, and one