In our little corner
of the world, most people don't associate Harwintonians
with fame and fortune. In fact, probably most who have
lived here were content with their private but simple
ways of life. In reality, Harwinton has been the home
of many prominent men including possibly the greatest
railroad builder in the United States.
Collis P. Huntington
Huntington is one of those who left this little town
to find his fame and fortune elsewhere. Born in the
Poverty Hollow section of town he would become one of,
if not the, greatest railroad builder this
country has ever known. It is interesting to note that
the first dollar ever earned by him, and he died a millionaire,
was on a Harwinton farm. He was 14 and worked for $7.00
a month. At 15, he left Harwinton and became a peddler
who would travel through New York State and then down
towards the south where he sold goods and wares that
were made in the small manufacturing hamlets of the
north. Later he would be credited with building the
first railroad across the Rocky Mountains. He also built
a railroad connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
a railroad in Mexico and also in South Africa, Central
America and even British Columbia. His first railroad,
the Central Pacific, extended from San Francisco to
Ogden Utah. Later he built the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad from Newport News Va. to Cincinnati Ohio, and
onto Louisville Ky. (See a more in-depth report on the
life of Collis P. Huntington elsewhere on this Web site)
Cyprian and Moses
Webster
These two came to Harwinton from Hartford in 1732. A
descendent of Cyprian was General William H. Webster
who won distinction during the Civil War and was appointed
Chief of the Civil Service Board of Commissioners by
President Garfield. He held that post until he died
during Grover Cleveland’s administration in the
late 1800's. The descendants of Cyprian and Moses were
widely scattered throughout the land. One, a surgeon
in a Missouri regiment, marched with Sherman through
Georgia. Another served on General Joseph Wheeler's
staff and earned tha rank of Colonel. Yet another was
a captain in a Georgia regiment and had three horses
shot out from under him in his first year of service
alone.
Morris C. Webster
Morris was born on a Harwinton farm in 1848 and following
his education here including at the center academy,
he pursued a business career in Hartford where he remained
for a number of years. He also held jobs out west and
in New York City then, in 1894, he entered into business
in Terryville. Most notably was his employment in New
Britain for twenty four years with the Malleable Iron
Works. He also held several offices in New Britain including
the city council, school board and was even mayor of
the hardware city for two years. He was elected to the
General Assembly in 1896 and also served as chairman
of the committee on agriculture. In 1912 he was elected
as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1914
he was our State's Comptroller.
