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They were the parents of Stephen (5)
Hart, who, like his father, made his home
in New Britain. He married Sally White,
and among their children was George
Hart, father of William H. Hart.
George Hart was born in New Britain,
Connecticut, March 16, 1801, and died
there, October 27, 1891, "a man of great
simplicity of character and frankness,
combined with a high sense of honor and
the strictest integrity." After learning
the shoemaker's trade, and making some
ventures in business, which were not
profitable, he established a freight and
stage line between New Britain and Hartford
which retrieved his fortunes and
gave him a profitable business until the
completion of the New Haven & Hartford
railroad in 1839, he carrying nearly all
the passenger express and freight between
those points. When the railroad came he
transferred his teaming and stage busi-
ness to "Green Swamp," the New Britain
station of the New Haven & Hartford
railroad. When the Hartford, Providence
& Fishkill railroad was completed in 1850,
he was appointed station master for New
Britain, but still continued his trucking
business. He was a man of industrious,
temperate life, rugged in constitution,
and physically capable of the hardest toil.
He lived to the advanced age of ninety
years, and until his eyesight failed was
not willing to give up his business and
retire. He joined the New Britain Church
of Christ, August 6, 1831, was one of the
original one hundred and twenty members
of South Congregational Church, organized
in 1842, and was the last male mem-
ber of the original congregation to sur-
vive. He married (first) March 2, 1826,
Mary Griswold Andrews, born October
22, 1809, died August 10, 1831, leaving a
son, Charles, who died at the age of ten
years. He married (second) September
11, 1832, Elizabeth North Booth, born
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
408
October 31, 181 1, died April 25, 1862,
daughter of Cyrus and Nancy (North)
Booth. One son, William Henry Hart,
was born of that marriage. He married
(third) May 6, 1863, Elizabeth Ells-
worth, born September 21, 1823, daughter
of Job Ellsworth, of East Windsor, and
widow of William Perrv, of South Wind-
sor.
William H. Hart was educated in the
public schools and the High School of
New Britain, and assisted his father in the
work about the railroad station and in
clerical work. As early as the age of
seventeen years, Mr. Hart evinced his
ability as an executive, and he made special
transportation contracts for the com-
pany. During this time he kept up his
school work and graduated at the age of
nineteen years. His entire time was then
given to railroad work. Among the pas-
sengers who daily came in contact with
Mr. Hart were Mr. F. T. Stanley and Mr.
C. B. Erwin, the former the founder of
the Stanley Works of New Britain, and
the latter one of the founders of the Rus-
sell & Erwin Company. They were attracted
to Mr. Hart, and prevailed upon
his father to permit him to enter the employ
of the Stanley Works. The firm was
incorporated in 1852, and manufactured
cast iron bolts and wrought iron hinges.
It was in March, 1854, that Mr. Hart
entered the employ of the company above
named, and two months later he was
elected secretary and treasurer. At that
time the capital was $30,000, and the em-
ployees numbered about twenty-five. In
addition to this, keen competition made a
very doubtful outlook for its success.
One of the greatest competitors of the
company was the Roy Hinge Company on
the Hudson river, and this company later
failed, due to the aggressive competition
of the Stanley Works, despite the fact
that their facilities for securing raw ma-