Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

and eldest son of Joseph Dart, was born
September -\ [87a. He was quite a lad
when his father removed to New York
City, and the boy grew up there, remain-
ing in the city for eighteen years, lie
received his education at the Polytechnic
Institute, Brooklyn. After completing
his formal studies, he entered the employ
of C. P. Rogers. For some time he represented
them on the road, and later was
buyer for the firm in their silk and drap-
ery department. Salesmanship itself is
a liberal education, and this experience
fitted the young man for larger endeavors.
About twenty years ago, he came
to Hartford, and for several years engaged
in the real estate business, buying
unimproved land, and developing the sub-
divisions. The southwestern section of
the city, especially, bears enduring testimony
of Mr. Dart's activities in the development
of barren acres into comfort-
able, suburban homes. He still continues
in this line, but not so extensively as
formerly, as it is crowded to one side by
the more pressing demands of his recent
interests. Some years ago he became in-
terested in the automobile business, which
now takes up nearly all of his attention.
At first he sold the Northern automobile,
but has handled a number of other cars,
principally the Thomas Flyer, the Mitchell
and Haynes. He has handled the last
two for the past four or five years. In
this work he finds ample opportunity for
the exercise of his splendid abilities. Mr.
Dart is a genial man, and his work, which
has brought him in touch with ''all sorts
and conditions of men." has made him an
interesting talker. He is a thorough business
man, one of those men who make
Hartford the mercantile as well as the
social and legislative center of the State.
Mr. Dart is a member of the City Club,
the Rotary Club, the Automobile Club,
the Country Club, of Springfield, the
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HIOGKAI'HY
83
Hartford Chamber of Commerce, and the
Automobile Dealers' Association.
Mr. Dart married Claribel Ashton, of
Philadelphia, and they have one son,
Harold Ashton, who was called into the
United States service in the war with
Germany, but finally had no opportunity
to go overseas.
ST. JOHN, George H.,
Business Man.
Among the well known business men
of the city of Hartford, George H.
St John has attained a respected and
esteemed place because of his fairness
and uprightness in business dealings. He
is a scion of an old Colonial family of
Connecticut, whose members have been
true patriots and citizens of upright,
sterling character. In early days the
name of St. John was also spelled Sen-
sion and Sention, the latter two styles
being evidently a phonetic representation
of a very short pronunciation of St.
John. The following excerpt is taken
from the New England Historical and
Genealogical Register
I believe these families (St. John, Throckmor-
ton, Willoughby, and Sands) are the four great
pillars of Elizabethan England, replacing the
great feudal earls.
The St. John family was essentially English,
and brethren of the royal family of Tudor by
the half blood, hence their powerful position. In
the first generation they were divided into two
sections—the senior line at Bletsoe in Bedford-
shire; and the junior line at Lidiard Tegoze, in
Wiltshire. Both these localities were hotbeds
of Puritanism, and many of our early pioneers
were connected with the two St. John houses.
George H. St. John was born March
25, 1871, in Phelps, New York, son of
Charles R. St. John, and grandson of
Charles G. St. John. The latter made his
home in Hartford and was long engaged
in farming. In early life the son, Charles
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