The Newtown bee., 1898-07-22
Nathan SCClCY,
Who Resides on Center Street

Greenwood avenue, near the h"ure Of tn
late Ethel T. Faruan, iua business in
creased, and several o,hc: shops werc
started in the adjoining diettic.a of Plum
trees, Wildcat (Elmwood) and in Wolf
| pits or these were Eden and Andrew
Andrews in Wildcat. During the war of
| 1872, Granville B. Andrews says that An
drew Andrews father Lired u substitute
in order TO keep his son from going into
the army, but when the substitute started
Andrew Andrews slid away also and join
ed the army. InPlumtrees Joseph Hitch.
cock carried on the manufacture Of hats,
and after the close of the war many other
shops were started. Eli Taylor went in
to business with his brother, Thomas
| Taylor Oliver Shepard had shop on the
! ground once occupied by Cole and Am
bier, and his son carried on the business
in later years. This gentleman Is still
! living. His name is William 9. Shepard,
In 1915 Nathan Seeley, father Of the late
Captain Isaac II. Seeley, carried on bust
| ness on the land now owned by the Hon
| George G. Durant, on Main street and
Fountain place. In 1918 Capt Isaac 81.
Seeley succeeded his father and did 3
successful business, and in 1888 be tooF
his son Nathan into partnership ard re.
manned with him until he retired by Tea
son Of old age. Nathan Scelry, who Is
still living at he age of 80,
conducted the hat business
alone, and in 1861 was awarded the con.
tract by the United States government tc
manufacture army hats. in 1868 NJ Sc
ley failed, but the bu mess was resumed
under the management OF o car Fl. Hib-
bard, and after lapse of six mouths M
EIbbard and Mr. Seeley formed partner
ship which continued about two yeurs,
Mr. Iibbaro Withdrawing. Mr. Seeley
continued alone until 1871, when he re-
tired. Mr. Seeley enjoys good
health, and retains his hearing
and sight and is well-pre-
served man physically. The shop, after
Mr. Seeley's retirement, remained idle for
some time.
1t has been necessary for the writer to
get the assistance of those who were &C
quainted with the business of hat-making
and that other once profitable industry,
comb making, in order to give, as far az
possible, a correct history. Some of the
names have been obtained from history
of Fairfield county, written by DR. George
Benedict. There are but few Sketches
extant that are reliable as to details, CON-
sequently we shall not claim absolute
correctness or completeness in this
sketch.
Among those to whom we are indebted
for information are the venerable John
Mcdowell and Charles w, Stevens, whose
portraits are published with tbIs brief
history.
From Mr. Mcdowell we learn that he
was born in the city of New York Fcbru-
arg 10, 1907. AT the age of IL he came
to Bethel and went to live with Aaron
Nichols, doing chores, and remained with
him rather more than two years. He ran |
away from Nichols and returned to his |
home in New York, where he remained |
until the following spring, when he re-
turned to Bethel and was apprenticed to
Lewis Taylor, who had a hat shop on |
Grassy Plain street, on the ground which |
is laid out now as Beach street, formerly
called "Nigger Alley" The frame of
the old hat shop in which he served his
time is in one of the houses on Beach
street, where the owner, OrrinI Benedict,