Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ern cities and has brought to the firm
contracts from all over southern New
England. About fourteen men are em-
ployed on an average. Mr. St. John is
the type of public-spirited citizen who is
an asset to a community. Upright in his
business dealings, he has won the respect
and esteem of those with whom he comes
in contact.
On June n, 1892, Mr. St. John married
Lillian Bird Wilson, born February 21,
1871, in Newark, New Jersey, daughter
of Henry B. and Sarah (Bird) Wilson,
of that city. Mr. and Mrs. St. John are
the parents of a son, Charles Kenneth,
born April 25, 1897. The family attend
and aid in support of the Methodist Episcopal
church of South Norwalk.
SCHAVOIR, Arnold Lambert,
Rubber Manufacturer.
Mr. Schavoir was born in a city which
has long been famous, but which now
holds a place of imperishable prominence
as one of the great battlefields of the
World War for Freedom and Democracy
—Aix la Chapelle, France. It was there
on August 25, 1871, Mr. Schavoir was
born, son of Lambert and Ann (Leus-
berg) Schavoir.
Lambert Schavoir, father of Arnold L.
Schavoir, was born in Douai, France, and
died in Aix la Chapelle, in 1883, aged
fifty-three years. For several hundred
years the family was settled in Douai.
When he was fifteen years of age, Mr.
Schavoir went to Aix la Chapelle and it
was after that time the "c" was added in
the spelling of the family name. Its
original derivation was from the occupa-
tional class of surnames, meaning shepherd.
In his early life, Mr. Schavoir was
a salesman, later engaged in real estate.
He became a contractor and builder on a
large scale, and had many men in his em-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
39i
ploy. He made a specialty of large factory
buildings, and was also the owner
of a large machine shop where were built
steam engines. Subsequently he was the
proprietor of a large wall paper plant.
Mr. Schavoir was a man of tireless en-
ergy, very ambitious and possessed of a
fine mentality. Through misfortunes he
lost nearly all that he had accumulated
through a lifetime of thrift and never
flagging industry. He married Ann Leus-
berg, daughter of a wealthy citizen of
Aix la Chapelle. Her father served un-
der Napoleon and after the downfall of
the latter became a merchant.
Arnold Lambert Schavoir received his
education in the private schools of his
home city and at the Cathedral Academy
of Aix la Chapelle. He learned the ma-
chinist's trade, and came to America at
the age of nineteen years. A brother and
two sisters had preceded him and located
in Stamford, Connecticut, so naturally
Mr. Schavoir came directly to that city.
There he found employment at his trade
in the plant of the Yale & Towne Manufacturing
Company. Later he was employed
by the Blickensderfer Manufac-
turing Company, where he remained for
sixteen years, and at the time of his leaving
there was serving as foreman. The
ambitious traits of his father were im-
bibed in Mr. Schavoir's character, and he
was desirous of entering into business on
his own account. To this end he engaged
in business as a repairer of automobile
tires. His venture was a success from
the outset, and the enterprise developed
to considerable dimensions, In time Mr.
Schavoir found it necessary to erect a
special brick building to furnish adequate
facilities for his work. A large part of
his work was done under contract for the
big tire companies, and this arrangement
continued for about seven years. In the
meantime he had become the local repre-