Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Later he entered the employ of the Lockwood
Manufacturing Company, and after
a few years spent with the Reed & Volk
Electrical Company he engaged in busi-
ness on his own account. This fact alone
is sufficient evidence of his ability. But
Mr. Cullen did not stop seeking to further
his knowledge and thereby his work-
manship. He studied diligently in the
evenings and trained himself in electrical
theory. He is deserving of the success
which he has attained, which has come
to him from the constant application of
effort. On July 5, 1916, he opened his
present store, where a general line of elec-
trical goods is carried. At first his
business venture was small, consisting
mostly of taking contracts for electrical
wiring, and it has steadily and consist-
ently grown until at the present time he
employs on an average of twenty-five
men. Mr. Cullen has also entered into
the civic life of Norwalk with a real pub-
lic spirit, and has served as chairman of
the building committee of the Common
Council.
Mr. Cullen served in the World War,
enlisting February 17, 1917, in Company
B, 77th Division, 302nd Regiment of En-
gineers. He saw active service in France,
landing there April 12, 1918. He fought
at Bacaret, from June 21 to August 4, 1918
at Oise-Aisne, August 18th to September
16th ;
;
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
at Meuse-Argonne, September 26th
to November nth. Unfortunately he
was gassed and compelled to spend six
weeks in the hospital at Nevers. Mr.
Cullen is a member of the American
Legion, the Knights of Columbus, the
Putnam Hose Company, and the Norwalk
Club.
JOHNSON, Edgar,
Building Supplies Broker.
The eighties, in Stamford, Connecticut,
constituted a decade of
progress. Re-
136
markable changes and advancement were
evident along all lines of public activity.
Particularly was this true of the building
trades. New houses took the place of old
dwellings ; suburban residences seemed to
grow, almost over night, where before
had been only barren fields. Business
interests doubled and trebled, and the
housing of the growing industries
changed the face of almost every important
street. This was the period when
Edgar Johnson, the prominent broker in
building supplies, became identified with
the industrial life of Stamford.
Mr. Johnson comes of the Mechanics-
ville, Rockland county, New York, family
of that name, which dates back in Amer-
ica to early Colonial times.
(I) Robert Johnson, great-grandfather
of Edgar Johnson, was born in Mechanicsville,
New York, on the old farm, which
even then was the family homestead.
(II) Stephen R. Johnson, son of Robert
Johnson, was born on the same farm, and
followed farming on the home place all
his life. He married Hannah Young.
(III) Henry Johnson, son of Stephen
R. and Hannah (Young) Johnson, was
born on the old homestead, in 1824. He
cared little for the work of the farm, and
being ambitious to strike out for himself
he learned the trades of carpenter and
stair builder. This gave him more freedom
of movement, and he left the farm,
going in one direction or another as his
work called him. He was a Republican in
political affiliation, and took a lively interest
in all public affairs. What would
undoubtedly have been a brilliant future
was cut short by his untimely death of
pneumonia, in 1856, at the early age of
thirty-two years. He married Julia
Springsteen, daughter of Cornelius
Springsteen, of Saddle River, New Jer-
sey, and they were the parents of five
children: Edgar, of whom further; Ma-