Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

in which year he became associated with
his father in the laundry business, remain-
ing a year. During this time he had ap-
plied himself to the mastering of the
business and, aided by his father's knowl-
edge, opened a laundry in Greenwich, the
pioneer laundry of that town. At first he
had a partner, Ralph W. Gilbert, of
Ridgefield, but in 1901 this partnership
was dissolved and Mr. Stevens bought his
partner's interest, and has since continued
alone. Although the business was started
on a very small scale it has steadily and
consistently grown until now there are
between thirty-five and forty men employed.
These men with the most modern
machinery can handle a large volume
of business and cover the territory of
Greenwich and Port Chester.
During the war Mr. Stevens went overseas
as a canteen worker for the Young
Men's Christian Association and was stationed
at St. Nazaire ; altogether, he was
overseas about ten months.
Fraternally, Mr. Stevens is a member
of Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons, of Greenwich ; Rittenhouse
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of
Stamford ; Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, of Greenwich ; and Pilgrim
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, of Ridgefield.
Mr. Stevens married Jennie, daughter
of John V. and Ella Keller, of Philadelphia,
and they are members of the Con-
gregational church.
RIORDAN, Michael J.,
General Building Contractor.
It is such men as Michael J. Riordan
that the State of Connecticut may well be
proud of. Starting in life with the foun-
dation of a common school education,
Mr. Riordan began to earn his own living
at the early age of fourteen years, and by
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
181
hard, intelligently-directed industry he
has made his own way upward, until to-
day he is one of the most progressive and
successful business men in the city of
Norwalk.
The family of which Mr. Riordan is a
descendant is an old one in the annals of
Irish history. There are many who pre-
fix O to the name, but the name itself in
its original form was Riordan. It signifies
"umpire," and the family was
founded by Rossa Failge, a son of Cathire
More, who was king of Ireland in A. D.
144. The latter descends from Milesius,
through his sixth son, Heremon. The
motto of the family for centuries has
been "Pro Deo et Patria," and the coun-
ties of Limerick, Galway and Mayor are
the chief seats of the family.
Daniel Riordan, father of Michael J.
Riordan, was born in County Cork, Ire-
land, about 1842, and died in 1910, in Norwalk,
Connecticut. He came to America
in 1858, landing in Boston, Massachusetts,
where he remained for a time. The next
city in which Mr. Riordan located was
Norwalk, where for many years he worked
in the factories as a laborer. During the
last twenty years of his life he was engaged
in the liquor business. Mr. Riordan
was among the first to enlist in the
services of his adopted country at the
time of the Civil War. He was a member
of Company E, 12th Regiment, Con-
necticut Volunteer Infantry, for three
years, and upon the expiration of this
term, reenlisted for another period, but in
nine months the war closed. He was a
member of Buckingham Post, Grand
Army of the Republic, of Norwalk. Other
fraternal organizations were : The An-
cient Order of Hibernians, and St. Joseph's
Benevolent Society, of which he
was an organizer and secretary.
Mr. Riordan married Bridget Ahearn,