Henry Huttleston Rogers was born in Fairhaven, January twenty-ninth, 1840, son of Roland Rogers and Mary Eldredge Huttleston, and lived at 39 Middle Street, Fairhaven. His line can be traced back to 1620, to Thomas Rogers and his son Joseph, two of the Mayflower Pilgrims.
He was educated in the Fairhaven schools, entering the High School in the early fifties, and was graduated in 1856. Although his course was not continuous, he tried to leave school and go to work at the beginning of his third year. He was ever grateful that his mother sent him back to complete his education Then he worked in Fairhaven for about five years.
About this time the petroleum oil excitement was at its height, oil having been discovered in Pennsylvania in 1859. Every man was infected with the desire to go West. Mr. Rogers listened to the call and went. His connection with the petroleum oil business began shortly afterwards.
He was a wide-awake young man in his twenties, eager and willing to work and possessed of an energy that convinced others he had the necessary qualities for executive leadership. He rose rapidly form one position of trust to another, until he became President of the Standard Oil Company of New York. Great wealth came to him, not by miracle, but by persistent hard work and study.
After his journey to the Pennsylvania oil regions, Mr. Rogers’ first visit home was to claim as his bride a Fairhaven girl, Miss Abbie Palmer Gifford, daughter of Captain Peleg W. and Amelia L. (Hammond) Gifford. They were marred at the home of the bride’s parents on November 17, 1862 at 115 Green Street, Fairhaven. The marriage was a very happy one.
The death of Mr. Rogers on May nineteenth, 1909, was a great shock to everyone. Leaving Fairhaven two days before, apparently well and happy, he was brought back to Fairhaven and lay in state in the church amidst beautiful flowers and gleaming candles, watched over by Masonic brothers. A vast number came to pay him tribute and look a last time upon his beloved face. The children from the schools filed past his bier. He was taken to Riverside and placed in the beautiful mausoleum with his wife and children.
