Putnam patriot., 1920-01-23

terests of Putnam. He attended meetings where projects to advnneo he city's interests were discunee4 and accepted office many timss b. cause he was strongly urged to do - IS the best man to lead to . succs0r ful carrying out of plans adopted. Mir. Wheaton early showed maxksd confidence in the town of his sdoYtioa 5y building many houses throueAouG he city. His confidence and farsigie- sdness have had their reward. 1or hs has been most successful financially.
 Mir. Wheaton was pleasane maR Q meet and always had . smlDs wteA lis word of eheery greeting. Ho tosk pride in his home and his family. an1 was at the family hreside tha3 hs perhaps took his greatest cnjeymenk in life He was known to everyone in Putnam, and bad friends and e. luaintances throughout the state Ana beyond.
 Edgar M. Wheaton was born jn Pomfret April is, 1851. He was tho eldest of four children of Angel and Lydia tWilliams) Wheaton. In carly youtk he attended the school in Pom fret and then the select school taught oy Miss Elizabeth Mathewson.
 At the age of IS MT. Wheaton went to Wheaton, Illinois, place founded and built up largely by his two un- eles. Jesse and Warren Wheaton, who went west and settled on the open prairie when Chicago was but small town.
 For year and half Mir. Wheaton was enrolled as student at Wheaton Academy. From there he went to Humboldt, Iowa. where, with Dr. Russell, he engaged in the manufac- ture. purchase and sale of lime and limestones After while he disposed of his interests to Des Moinee parties and opened cabinet shop. coming before the public for the first tir a contractor and builder. After ... years he decided to rsturn east and arrived in Pomfret In time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at the home of his father in 1872.
 Mir. Wheaton remained in P0mfrst until spring, when he saw what he believed to be an opening in Putnam in the building line, and accordingly purchased some land of Simon and William Bartholomew near the old High school building. Church street. and commenced the erection of . dwelling house. He labored alone on his new home and when he had 1t com pleted he moved in and shortly com menced the erection of more houses for himself and others.
 Mir. Wheaton's first "shop" was near the Morse lot not far from his home. He remained there until 1876 when the building was taken down and removed.
 In 1876 he built a two-story shop )n the ssst side of the railroad near he old Fifth District school, occupy ing that building until he built largo establishment near the site of the old one ssa combined the two. The plant occupied an area of over thirty thou sand square feet and was equippe4 with modern machinery for the mak- ing of sash, doors, blinds and build srs' finish of all kinds. This big plaHk was destroyed by fire in Novemhess 1912, following which Mir. Wheaeoa reno, sd his business to the old FiaA- CT shoe shop nearby, where 1t is nsu located.
 Among the many public bui)d1Aon built by the company are governn4sne barracks at Fort Wright, Bostsa tn1k Dor; barracks at Little Gun Iaien4I Lond Island Sound; school housee' 'in Boston, the postoffice in Merideh ano the Webster High school. Recently MT. Wheaton secured a large timber tract in New Hampshire from which millions of feet of lumber can be cut
 While in Wheaton, H., MT. Wheat on was married, August 25, 1872, to Miss Charity Eliza Jayne, daughter of Timothy and Phoebe tPlimpton) Jayne. Six children were born of the union: Mary Alice Wheaton. who lives at home; Dr. Frank A. Wheaton of Bellingham, Wash; WaI- ter A. of Putnam; Henry w., killed at "White's Crossing" by a train some years ago; William E. and Ray mond T., both of Putnam The five children and wife survive. Mir. Wheat on also leaves brother, Thomas Wheaton of Dexter, New Mexico, and -l two sisters, Mrs. Annie r. Stone of Winsted and Mrs. Alice Angell o3 Putnam.
 In 1886 Mir. Wheaton purchased tho E. S. Lyon house on the top of oak Hill, where he lived until he removed iContinued on Page Twslvsl