Chapter 18

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE VALLEY

    In the years between the Civil War and the First World War, the Valley was growing in its industry and economics. Factories were built and employed large numbers of citizens in the area. This concluding chapter examines some of the leading persons of that era.

DR. GOULD A. SHELTON

    Dr. Gould Abijah Shelton was a well-known physician in the Valley area. The town of Shelton was named for him, in appreciation and recognition for his many works.
    Dr. Shelton was born August 9, 1841, the son of Judson C. and Hannah (Lewis) Shelton, at the family homestead in Huntington. He was educated in the common schools and then enrolled in Staples University at Easton, Connecticut. In 1862 he went to Yale College, but during his junior year he left to take a teaching position. Late in 1864 he accepted a different teaching position at Mountain View Seminary and the following year was made the principal of a school at Port Washington, Long Island.
    In 1866 he began his medical studies, attending courses in New York City and then attending Yale College. He received his M.D. on January 14, 1869, and immediately took up the practice of his uncle who had died the previous year.
    Besides his medical practice, Dr. Shelton was known for his community interests. He served as an active member of the local school board and a trustee of the Plumb Memorial Library.
    Active in politics, he was elected to the General Assembly. He was chairman of the Committee on Public Health.
Shelton served three terms on the board of burgesses of Shelton and for three terms as warden of the borough.
    Shelton served as president of the Shelton Water Company and as director of the Shelton Savings Bank. He was also secretary and director of the Silver Plate Company.