Despite his birth in the first half of the nineteenth century, John D. Andrews (1833-1910) had a very twenty-first century career change when he went from factory foreman to banker. Born in Ashford, Massachusetts, he came to work for The Collins Company in 1858. In 1869 he was put in charge of the machete department and held that position until he resigned in June of 1891. Having served on the board of trustees of the Collinsville Savings Society for a number of years, he was appointed secretary and treasurer of the bank on his retirement from Collins. He held the banking position for seventeen years.

Andrews was a Mason and a member of the Collinsville Congregational Church. Never physically robust, he enjoyed outdoor sports and carefully watched his health. An image out of his later years shows a man with a penetrating gaze, neatly combed gray hair, and a bushy Van Dyke beard. He was widely read and politically active. The Hartford Courant described him as “a man of liberal mind and . . . eminently just in his opinion of men and affairs.”

Andrews married Collinsville’s Abbie Horton in 1859. They had three children, none of whom lived to age six. Andrews died at age 77 and was survived by his wife who died the following year. John and Abbie are buried beside each other in the Village Cemetery, Collinsville.

“Your Silent Neighbors” introduces readers to people out of Canton’s past. Readers are encouraged to visit these gravesites and pay their respects to the people who have helped make our community what it is today.