Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

tion is everywhere conceded. While Mr.
Riordan was a member of the Street Com-
mission and serving as its chairman, the
State was induced to pave Winfield street
from the Norwalk line to the Westport
line ;
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
also Westport Hill, which was one of
the worst streets in the city, and Mill Hill
and Westport Hill were also connected
through an appropriation by the State.
Mr. Riordan has been a member of the
Board of Estimate and Taxation for about
six years, and is still holding this office.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus,
of which he is past grand knight, and
is also a member of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Riordan married Mary Ann O'Sullivan,
daughter of John and Mary (Ryan)
O'Sullivan. Mrs. Riordan was born in
Norwalk, and died July 20, 1915, aged
forty-eight years. Her father was a na-
tive of County Cork, Ireland, and her
mother a native of Tipperary. Mr. and
Mrs. Riordan were the parents of four
children: I. Thomas J., who graduated
from the Norwalk grammar and high
schools, following which he took a course
in Merrill's Business College ; he then
learned the trade of mason, and is now
associated with his father in the contract-
ing business. 2. Mary Louise, a graduate
of the College of New Rochelle. 3. John
E., a student in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
4. Paul Francis, at home.
VICK, Martin Lindsey,
Real Estate Dealer.
The activities of the Vick Realty Company
have made the name which stands
at the head of this article thoroughly and
favorably familiar to a large majority of
the citizens of Stamford. Not only is
Mr. Vick well known as a business man,
but as a citizen he is highly esteemed and
personally popular.
The origin of the name of Vick seems
to be involved in some obscurity, but it is
probably an abbreviation of Vickers,
which was derived from Vicars, a name of
Spanish origin, or from the English name,
LeVick. The Vicks are an old English
183
family, and branches of the race are found
in different states of the American Union.
This record begins with Edwin Vick,
who was a resident of Virginia, and who
married Margaret Gardner. After the
death of Edwin Vick, his widow married
again, her second husband, Mr. Williams,
and soon afterward moved to Tennessee,
accompanied by a son, Americus, and a
daughter, Clementine.
Americus Vick, son of Edwin and Mar-
garet (Gardner) Vick, was born in Vicks-
ville, Southampton county, Virginia, June
26, 1826, died January 19, 1870. The town
of his birth was named in honor of the
family, and the city of Vicksburg also
comrr.emorates the race of the Vicks,
having been originally a town laid out on
the plantations of William Vick and John
Lane. Americus Vick was taken to Ten-
nessee by his mother and stepfather pos-
sibly between 1830 and 1840, but he re-
turned to Virginia on business connected
with the Vick estate probably prior to
1850. He married Susan Pafford, ninth
of the fifteen children of John and Sarah
(Melton) Pafford. John Pafford was born
June 24, 1798, died April 15, 1851 ; his
wife was born April 2, 1804, and died November
30, 1863. From the early home
of the Paffords in DeKalb county, Tenn-
essee, sons John and William settled in
Benton county, Tennessee, while three
others located in Georgia, all rearing large
families. Americus Vick was a planter
in later life.
Edward Crayton Vick, son of Americus
and Susan (Pafford) Vick, was born about
September 1, 1850, in Camden, Tennessee,
and received his education in local schools.