Dudley Ely

Dudley Pettibone Ely (November 16, 1817 – July 9, 1895) was the first mayor of South Norwalk, Connecticut, beginning in 1870, when the city was first incorporated. He served from 1870 to 1872, was succeeded in office by Walter C. Quintard, and then returned to office from 1876 to 1877.[2][3][4][5]

Dudley Pettibone Ely
1st and 3rd Mayor of South Norwalk, Connecticut
In office 1870–1872
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Walter C. Quintard
In office 1876–1877
Preceded by	Walter C. Quintard
Succeeded by	Winfield S. Hanford
Personal details
Born	November 16, 1817 Simsbury, Connecticut
Died	July 9, 1895 (aged 77)
Resting place	Simsburg, Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse(s)	Charlotte W. Phelps (m. November 28, 1844)
Children	Harriette Pauline, Charlotte E., Augusta A., Dudline P.
Residence	South Norwalk
Occupation	Banker
Military service
Unit	Colored Light Artillery[1]

Early life and family

He was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, the youngest child of Benjamin Ely, a graduate of Yale College in 1786. As a youth, he worked in a store in Simsbury, and by the age of eighteen, was a manager of a store in West Hartland, Connecticut. After a year, he went to New York City, to work with his brother as a bookkeeper, subsequently becoming his partner. He succeeded in business, and moved to South Norwalk in 1861.[3][4]

Business pursuits

Upon moving to South Norwalk, he became a banker, invested in real estate, becoming the largest landholder in the city. On the largest business block in the city, he built the Hotel Mahackemo. He was president of the Norwalk Gas Light Company for over twenty years. He was president of the South Norwalk Savings Bank for more than ten years. He was the first president of the Norwalk Iron Works Company and the first president of the South Norwalk Printing Company. He served as a director of the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad Company, the Norwalk Horse Railroad Company, the Fairfield County Fire Insurance Company, the Norwalk Fire Insurance Company, the Relief Fire Insurance Company of New York and the Peter Cooper Fire Insurance Company of New York.[3][4]

He took a recreational interest in agriculture, and served as president of the Fairfield County Agricultural Society. At a farm he carried on in the suburbs, he raised chickens and pigeons.[3][4]

He was a large donor to the Children's Aid Society, and a member of the Congregational church of South Norwalk.[3][4]

He was the plaintiff in the case of Town of Andes v Ely in 1895.[6]

References

1. "United States, Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NH4W-C2N : accessed 11 Mar 2013), Dudley Ely, 1891.
2. John Augustus Spalding (1891). Illustrated Popular Biography of Connecticut. Lockwood & Brainard Company. pp. 114–115.
3. Google Books
4. Genealogy Finds
5. "Norwalk Museum". Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
6. 158 U.S. 312 / 15 S.Ct. 954 / 39 L.Ed. 996 TOWN OF ANDES v. ELY. No. 295. May 20, 1895 Archived May 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine