Frederick Henry Rolf, who is leaving the impress of his individuality upon the political and commercial history of the state, makes his home in Guilford, where he was born January 29, 1876, his parents being George P. and Mary S. (Storer) Rolf. The father was born in England and in his boyhood days came to America with his parents, who settled in Guilford, where he was reared and educated. There he learned the stonemason's trade, which he followed for many years, and later he engaged in the livery business, conducting a livery and sales barn. At the present time he is carrying on a large live stock sales business at No. 190 Grand avenue, in New Haven but continues to make his home in Guilford, where he has taken a prominent part in public affairs, tilling various positions of honor and trust, including the offices of burgess, selectman, mayor and member of the nuance board. His wife, who was born in Le Roy, New York, is also living.

Frederick H. Rolf, their only child, passed through consecutive grades in the Guilford schools to the high school and later became a student in the Yale Business College, after which he turned his attention to the drug business, in which he engaged for a short time in New Haven. He did not find that pursuit congenial and for a brief period engaged in office railroad work. In 1897, at the age of twenty-one, he purchased the Sachems Head Canning Company of Guilford and also a grain, feed and coal business. The canning company was established in 1874 by D. N. Benton and at the time of Mr. Rolf's purchase was a small concern but had a well established reputation for the quality of its products. Mr. Rolf built up the business from that point until the plant today has a capacity of a half million cans of tomatoes per year and also packs apples, squash, pumpkins and other lines. The Guilford brand of canned tomatoes has the reputation of being the highest quality of canned tomatoes on the market. The factory is equipped with all modern devices for the sanitary handling of the vegetables, everything is done with the utmost care and after the preliminary stages the vegetables are not handled by any person but through machinery processes the packing is completed. During the canning season the plant employs from seventy-five to one hundred operatives. Mr. Rolf owns an extensive farm and grows his own tomatoes, also buying from other growers in this vicinity. The canning factory is only operated during the season when the vegetables are upon the market but the feed, grain and coal business is conducted throughout the year and in that line Mr. Rolf enjoys an extensive, gratifying and growing patronage, he is a man of resourceful ability, alert and enterprising, and he is a trustee of the Eagle Hose Company of Guilford and is secretary and treasurer of the Guilford Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which he aided in organizing.

In June, 1907, Mr. Rolf was married to Miss Mabel Carpenter Hubbard, of Guilford, where she was born. She is a daughter of John B. and Eva (Goldsmith) Hubbard, who were natives of Guilford, where her father passed away, but her mother is still living. Both were representatives of old and prominent families of Guilford.

In politics Mr. Rolf is a stalwart republican and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have frequently called upon him to serve in public offices. He has been borough clerk, burgess and auditor and in 1904, when twenty-eight years of age, he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature, being the youngest member of the house during the session of 1905. In the fall of 1916 he was elected state senator and is now chairman of the labor committee and a member of the finance committee. As chairman of the former he has made an exhaustive study of labor conditions in the state and put forth effective work in this connection for the benefit of all classes. He belongs to the Third Congregational church, for many years has been superintendent of its Sunday school and is very active in other departments of the church work. He likewise belongs to St. Albans Lodge, F. & A. M., and to the Royal Arch Chapter of Guilford and is a member of Menuncatuck Lodge, I. O. 0. F., and was the youngest incumbent in the office of noble grand in that organization. He likewise belongs to Hollis Encampment, No. 34, and he is a member of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce. He cooperates in all of its well defined plans for the upbuilding and development of his city and he keeps in touch with all of those broad questions which affect the general interests of society. He is a broadminded man, the spirit of progress dominating him in his connection with commercial interests, municipal affairs and the welfare of the commonwealth.