Judge John Phelps and Sandusky Descendants

 

According to volume 3 of the book, New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Judge John Phelps (born in Suffolk, Connecticut in 1736, died circa 1808) served as a Justice of the Peace and was a Representative to the Connecticut Legislature for several terms. Judge Phelps was associated with the manufacturing of iron, including the production of cannon balls and other war implements purchased by the United States Government. 

John Phelps married Mary Richardson, daughter of William and Lady Abigail Richardson, of Edinburgh, Scotland. One of their daughters was Abigail Phelps, who married Judge Isaac L. Mills, one of the co-founders of the city of Sandusky. William H. Mills, a well known Sandusky wine maker, was the grandson of the judge. 

Another descendant was Allen Phelps Mills, pictured with his mother in the daguerreotype below. Sadly, he died of diphtheria on November 7, 1869 at the age of nine. He was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery.

Though Judge John Phelps lived and died in Connecticut, his descendants left a lasting impression on Sandusky. Mills School, Mills Street, and Mills Golf Course were all named after members of his daughter's family.