Frank H. Andrews, secretary and treasurer of the Connecticut Transportation Company, secretary of the A. H. Powell Company, Incorporated, and a partner in the firm of O’Connor & Andrews, building contractors, was born in New Haven, December 25, 1858, a son of the late William H. Andrews, a native of Cheshire, Connecticut, belonging to one of the old Connecticut families of English lineage. The founder of the American branch of the family was William Andrews, who came to the new world in the early part of the seventeenth century. William H. Andrews, the father, was an inventor and manufacturer of New Haven, who won recognition as a prominent, prosperous and successful man. He died in New Haven in 1911, at the age of eighty years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Harriett Hurd, was born in  Bethel, Connecticut, a daughter of Charles and Laura (Beebe) Hurd, both representatives of families of English origin that were established in Connecticut during the colonial period in American history. Mrs. Andrews is still living at the age of ninety years and her two sons, Frank H. and Charles W., are both residents of New Haven.

  When a youth of eighteen Frank H. Andrews, who up to this time had been a public school pupil, began earning his own living as an employe in the drafting and civil engineering departments of the New York & New Haven Railroad. He continued to engage in civil engineering for six years and afterward was with the firm of Mallory, Wheeler & Company, a contracting firm with which he filled the office of secretary for a number of years. He was afterward engaged in contracting business most successfully for five years with the firm of O’Brien & Sheehan of New York city and during that period had charge of the construction of many important works, including the Charlestown navy dry dock and extensive railroad contracts extending into Canada. He next entered the contracting field on his own account, establishing headquarters at Boston, with branch office in New Haven. He became associated with John O’Connor and the business has since been conducted under the firm style of O’Connor & Andrews. Their work has all been in the line of railroad building for the New York, New Haven & Hartford. Mr. Andrews is also the treasurer of the Connecticut Transportation Company, which conducts a line of barges, his associates in that enterprise being Albert H. Powell, who is the president of the company, and Charles H. Briggs, vice president. Mr. Andrews is also secretary of the A. H. Powell Company, Incorporated, wholesale and retail dealers in coal.

     Mr. Andrews was married in New Haven, Connecticut, to Miss Annie S. Curtis, a daughter of Robert G. Curtis, for years superintendent of the Northampton division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad.

     In politics Mr. Andrews was a democrat until William McKinley became the presidential nominee of the republican party, of which he has since been a stanch supporter. He has been alderman and councilman from the fifth ward, serving for three terms in each branch of the city government, and in those connections he exercised his official prerogatives in support of many progressive plans and measures for the public good. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He started out in the business world a poor boy and his success is due to his own efforts, controlled by laudable ambition and intelligently directed. He has worked his way continuously upward and each forward step in his career has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities.