Lucius Seymour Storrs
Encyclopedia
Lucius Seymour Storrs was a geologist, financier, and notable railway official. He was president of the Connecticut Company
, the American Electric Railway Association, the Los Angeles Railway Association, and the New England Investment and Security Company.
, USA to Janet (Rankin) Storrs and Origen (or Origon) Seymour Storrs, 1st Sgt. in the Cortland County, New York
Civil War 12th Regiment. His paternal grandparents, of English
descent, were Lucius (born 1789) and Suzanne Storrs of Mansfield, Connecticut
. He is the great-grandson of Dan Storrs (1748–1831), a selectman in Mansfield and a quartermaster
of the Connecticut Militia, and Ruth Connant Storrs (1749–1792). His maternal grandparents, of Scottish
descent, were Joseph and Janet Rankin.
On June 26, 1894, Storrs married Mary Louisa Cooper (born April 9, 1871, Greenville, Illinois
). She was the daughter of Job Adams Cooper
, sixth Governor of the State of Colorado. They had two children, a daughter, Margaret Storrs Grierson
(born 1900), and a son, Lucius ("Luke") Seymour Storrs, Jr. (born 1910). Storr's job took the family to various parts of the country. From 1900 to 1907, they lived in Denver, Colorado
and Bozeman, Montana
. In early 1907, they moved to Boston, Massachusetts, then to Brookline, Massachusetts
in July 1907, and Springfield, Massachusetts
in October 1908. They moved to New Haven, Connecticut
in 1911 and stayed for several years, making their home at 121 Whitney Avenue, and Storrs maintained an office at 129 Church Street.
Storrs is a relative of Henry Randolph Storrs
, a U.S. Representative
from New York
; and William L. Storrs
, a U.S. Representative
from Connecticut
. The family name is attributed to Storrs, Connecticut
, a community in Mansfield, Connecticut
.
for the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
, and as a geologist for the Northern Pacific Railroad. From 1896 through 1906, he served as a special writer for the U.S. Geological Survey.
Storrs surveyed several counties in Montana, including Carbon
, Gallatin
, and Madison
. From 1912 to 1914, he was vice-president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
; he was also vice-president of Berkshire Street Railway Company. In 1914, he became president of the Connecticut Company
, and eventually was also president of the New England Investment and Security Company. He served as a director of the Union Trust Company
, located in Springfield, Massachusetts
.
He belonged to several associations, including: American Association for the Advancement of Science
, American Institute of Mining Engineers
, and Sigma Xi
.
Grierson, on faculty at Smith College
, lived in Northampton, Massachusetts
from the mid-1930s and it was in Northampton that Storrs died in 1945. He belonged to the Congregational Church
.
:
Connecticut Company
The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , which also controlled most steam railroads in the state...
, the American Electric Railway Association, the Los Angeles Railway Association, and the New England Investment and Security Company.
Personal life
Storrs was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, USA to Janet (Rankin) Storrs and Origen (or Origon) Seymour Storrs, 1st Sgt. in the Cortland County, New York
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
Civil War 12th Regiment. His paternal grandparents, of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent, were Lucius (born 1789) and Suzanne Storrs of Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
. He is the great-grandson of Dan Storrs (1748–1831), a selectman in Mansfield and a quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
of the Connecticut Militia, and Ruth Connant Storrs (1749–1792). His maternal grandparents, of Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
descent, were Joseph and Janet Rankin.
On June 26, 1894, Storrs married Mary Louisa Cooper (born April 9, 1871, Greenville, Illinois
Greenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
). She was the daughter of Job Adams Cooper
Job Adams Cooper
Job Adams Cooper was a U.S. Republican Party politician. He served as the sixth Governor of the State of Colorado from 1889 to 1891.-Early life:...
, sixth Governor of the State of Colorado. They had two children, a daughter, Margaret Storrs Grierson
Margaret Storrs Grierson
Margaret Storrs Grierson , archivist and philosophy professor, was the founder and first director of the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College. In this capacity, she traveled extensively, in the United States and abroad, assembling manuscripts that document the history of women.-Personal...
(born 1900), and a son, Lucius ("Luke") Seymour Storrs, Jr. (born 1910). Storr's job took the family to various parts of the country. From 1900 to 1907, they lived in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. In early 1907, they moved to Boston, Massachusetts, then to Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
in July 1907, and Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
in October 1908. They moved to New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
in 1911 and stayed for several years, making their home at 121 Whitney Avenue, and Storrs maintained an office at 129 Church Street.
Storrs is a relative of Henry Randolph Storrs
Henry R. Storrs
Henry Randolph Storrs was a U.S. Representative from New York, brother of William Lucius Storrs.Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Storrs was graduated from Yale College in 1804.He studied law....
, a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; and William L. Storrs
William L. Storrs
William Lucius Storrs was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut, brother of Henry Randolph Storrs.Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Storrs was graduated from Yale College in 1814....
, a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The family name is attributed to Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs is a census-designated place and part of the town of Mansfield, Connecticut located in eastern Tolland County. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census...
, a community in Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
.
Education
Storrs graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1890 with a Bachelor of Science degree, in 1904 with a Master of Arts degree, and in 1927, he earned a doctorate in engineering.Career
During the period of 1890 to 1894, Storrs worked as an assistant geologistGeologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
for the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
Colorado Fuel and Iron
The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company was a large steel concern. By 1903, it was largely owned and controlled by John D. Rockefeller and Jay Gould's financial heirs. While it came to control many plants throughout the country, its main plant was a steel mill on the south side of Pueblo, Colorado...
, and as a geologist for the Northern Pacific Railroad. From 1896 through 1906, he served as a special writer for the U.S. Geological Survey.
Storrs surveyed several counties in Montana, including Carbon
Carbon County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area * Custer National Forest * Gallatin National Forest -Economy:During the early history of Carbon County, coal mining was the predominant industry...
, Gallatin
Gallatin County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Gallatin National Forest * Yellowstone National Park -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 67,831 people, 26,323 households, and 16,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 29,489 housing units...
, and Madison
Madison County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest *Gallatin National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,851 people, 2,956 households, and 1,921 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...
. From 1912 to 1914, he was vice-president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
; he was also vice-president of Berkshire Street Railway Company. In 1914, he became president of the Connecticut Company
Connecticut Company
The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , which also controlled most steam railroads in the state...
, and eventually was also president of the New England Investment and Security Company. He served as a director of the Union Trust Company
Union Trust Company Building (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Union Trust Company Building is a historic building at 1351 Main Street in Springfield, Massachusetts.The Beaux Arts building was constructed in 1907 featuring architecture by Peabody & Stearns and work by sculptor John Evans. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
, located in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
.
He belonged to several associations, including: American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, American Institute of Mining Engineers
American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers is a professional body for mining and metallurgy, with 90,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States, being one of the first national engineering societies in the...
, and Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
.
Later years
After retiring, Storrs became chairman for the national defense committee of the American Electric Railway Association.Grierson, on faculty at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, lived in Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
from the mid-1930s and it was in Northampton that Storrs died in 1945. He belonged to the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
.
Legacy
In 1984, Grierson, a notable archivist, donated her father's geological papers pertaining to his work in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington to Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections at the University of Montana. The balance of his papers were donated to the University of Nebraska. His awards and family papers are held in a collection at Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
:
- Medal, Sons of the American Revolution
- 1917, Badge, American Electric Railway Association, L. S. Storrs, President
- 1919, Certificate, United States Council of National Defense
- 1922, Certificate, Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut
- 1924, Delegate Badge and Ribbon, Connecticut Delegation to the Republican Convention, Cleveland
- 1939, Badge and Ribbon, Union Station Celebration, L. S. Storrs, Executive Committee