Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

State Senator when his parts- was in
power, and an election reasonably certain.
In [864 lie was a delegate to the Demo-
cratic National Convention at Chicago,
and served on the committee on resolu-
tions; and also the convention of [872
in Baltimore, where he was chairman of
the Connecticut delegation. In [873 be
received an unsought honor—the nom-
ination For the governorship, and his elec-
tion followed, he receiving a much larger
vote than any of his fellow candidates on
the ticket. 1 le gave the State a clean and
judicious administration, and served by
reelection until 1877, declining a renom-
ination. During his official term he signed
the act of Legislature making State elec-
tions biennial ; and it was largely through
his instrumentality that Connecticut was
enabled to make such a creditable array
of its industries as it did at the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876.
Governor Ingersoll was an incorporator
of the Connecticut Savings Hank of New
ENCYCD >I'll)I.\ OF i:l< >GR M'lIY
himself, ami his success is real and well
earned,
Mr. Rockwell u;h horn April 8,
in Woodhull, New York, son of Leander
ami I idelia 1 1 1 .1 »cke R01 kwell. The
Rockwell famil) is of Norman origin, and
the first ancestor
\ this branch of the
family in America was John Rockwell,
who is recorded in Stamford as early as
[640. The first quarter of a century of the
life of Mr. Rockwell was tilled with varied
employments; although his taste and inclinations
had always been aloiiL, r a me-
chanical and inventive line, he did not en-
gage in manufacturing until his twenty-
sixth year. His early days were spent in
Morris, Illinois, where he attended school,
and made the most of his educational op-
portunities. Subsequent to leaving school,
young Rockwell was employed in the department
store of the Field & Reiter Com-
pany, of Chicago, remaining for two years.
Then he went to Florida and worked at
general carpenter work, which also in-
I Raven, and a member of a number of eluded the clearing of land and digging
other business organizations. lie was an
advisor of the Xew Haven Colony His-
torical Society, and held various local
offices. In 1S74 he received from Yale
University the honorary degree of LL. D.
lie married. December 18, 1847, Virginia,
daughter of Rear-Admiral Francis H.
Gregory, United States navy, of New Ha-
ven, Connecticut.
ROCKWELL, Albert Fenimore.
Manufacturer.
As one of the most progressive manu-
facturers of the State of Connecticut, Al-
bert F. Rockwell has attained the promi-
stumps. His next venture was as the
manager of a country store, followed by
fruit growing, and the next four years
were spent in Jacksonville. Florida, in the
hardware business.
Mr. Rockwell was always strongly at-
tracted to a business life, for which he is
singularly well equipped. His alertness,
ambition, and ability to concentrate upon
his work have made him a master of de-
tail. L'pon leaving the South, in 1888,
Mr. Rockwell came to Connecticut, locat-
ing in Bristol. I [e was the founder of the
Xew Departure Manufacturing Company,
which had its beginning in 1889, and
which was incorporated in 1890. At the
nent and leading position he holds to-day start, a short stretch of bench room, a
through his own initiative and force of handful of men including officers, all in
will. He owes his rise to no fortuitous overalls, constituted the Xew Departure
circumstances, for since the age of thir- plant. Its progress and growth were
teen years Mr. Rockwell has supported rapid, and under the able and judicious
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