Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

and there Mr. Fairbanks had charge of
the electrical decorations in the Hotel
Astor, when that famous hotel was
opened. All of the electrical devices, the
display in the palm gardens, time clocks,
bells, and so forth, were all under his su-
pervision, sufficient warranty of his abil-
ity in this line.
His next work was installing the J. H.
Williams Drop Forge Company of Brook-
lyn with electricity, after which he again
returned to Stamford and to the Yale &
Towne Manufacturing Company. Mr.
Fairbanks had now placed himself in a
position where he knew he was capable
of entering into business on his own ac-
count, the natural ambition of every earnest
business man. In June, 1906, he made
his venture, which was successful from
the beginning. All the years Mr. Fairbanks
worked for others he never slighted
the minutest detail, and made it a practice
to master each phase of his work. These
qualities have been of great value to him
in his own business, and account in a
measure for his success. In 1917 his
business was incorporated as The Fairbanks
Electric Company, Incorporated,
of which he is president. All kinds of
electrical work is done, including the in-
stallation of plants and so forth. Mr. Fairbanks
is also president of the Fairbanks
Storage Battery Company, distributors of
the Willard Battery in Fairfield county,
Connecticut,
York.
and Port Chester, New
Despite his many business demands,
Mr. Fairbanks finds time to relax from
cares through membership in his various
fraternal organizations. He is a member
of Union Lodge, No. 5, Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons ; Rittenhouse Chapter,
Royal Arch Masons ; Washington
Council, Royal and Select Masters ; Rippowan
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd
Fellows ; Excelsior Lodge, Knights of
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
68
Pythias ;
and the Benevolent and Protec-
tive Order of Elks.
Mr. Fairbanks married Alice Sanderson,
a native of Manchester, England, and
they are attendants of St. John's Episco-
pal Church of Stamford.
HYATT, Joseph Gilbert,
Lawyer, Legislator.
There is always a double reason for
properly recording the lives of men whose
careers have been largely devoted to pub-
lic service, and the principal one is that
future generations may come within the
sphere of their influence through the medium
of the written word. One of Con-
necticut's citizens who is distinguished
for his service to the commonwealth and
to the republic, and upon whom many
public honors have been conferred, is
Joseph Gilbert Hyatt, lawyer, of West-
port, Connecticut.
Surnames have been variously derived,
and one of the most common origins in
the early days was from location. It is
in this manner that the name of Hyatt
was derived. Originally it was Hiatt,
and signifies "a dweller at the high gate."
It is necessary to refer back to the old
English form of the words in order to ap-
preciate the derivation. This was Hier-
Yate, meaning high gate, which through
the natural evolution of the words evolved
into Hiatt and Hyatt, the forms now
in use.
(I) Gilbert Hyatt, grandfather of Jo-
seph Gilbert Hyatt, was a lifelong resi-
dent of Norwalk, Connecticut.
(II) James Wiseman Hyatt, son of
Gilbert Hyatt, was born in Norwalk, Con-
necticut, and died at the age of sixty-six
years. When he was a small boy his parents
died, and with his brother, Edward Hyatt,
he was taken to raise by a Mr. Smith
who went South to Mobile, Alabama.