Charles Larrabee was born in Windham, Ct. on Aug. 24, 1782 and had a hard life from the age of 5.

From 1808 through 1825 he was in the U.s.Army. Through an act of heroism in the first battle of the War of 1812, he was injured and had to have his right arm amputated at the shoulder. This was the beginning of his extreme sympathy and concern for the maimed and crippled. He was then 30 years old. In 1815 he was commissioned a Major.

He was intensely interested in all worthy causes and was a great writer of letters to influential people.

The theme through all the Major's papers was "the cause of suffering humanity" especially female suffering. It was hard for him to express himself verbally because he stuttered, so he was constantly writing down his thoughts. He writes “life is only satisfactory to me when I am doing something to benefit my fellow beings. It appears tome that I can take but little pleasure in Heaven unless I know there that I have done something on earth for the brief comfort of the sick, lame and blind by the wayside". These words are engraved on his tombstone in Spring Grove Cemetery. He died in 1863 at the age of 81.

In the late 19th century it was not an uncommon sight to see maimed and crippled men and boys on the streets, perhaps even begging, but gentle-women in such straits were left to suffer alone in poor accommodations These were the ones he wished to help and to do so he deprived himself of many necessary daily needs that he might, as he states in his will, "be able to do something to benefit his fellow beings.”

All his life this was his wish and in June 1847 he wrote his will which began “Bequest to City and Town of Hartford, West Hartford a part” After all his debts were paid, he wished to leave the remainder for the purpose he had had in mind for all those years.

The amount was $6,342,02. He had always hoped that others would add to it and many have, hence the beginning of present day complications. In 1858 and 1859 he visited in West Hartford which had by then become a separate town. He deeded $500 to West Hartford for the same purpose and hoped that other West Hartford people would increase it to $5,000.

Extracts from the Will and Codicils of Major Charles Larrabee: “I devise and bequeath all my estate, real and personal, to the Mayor, Alderman and Common Council of the City of Hartford and the Selectmen of the Town of Hartford in said County, (for the time being), in and upon the Trust, that they appropriate the income or interest thereof, annually, for the relief and benefit of lame, deformed or maimed females of said Town of Hartford, according to their discretion; selecting the most needy. For which purpose said estate is to constitute and remain a perpetual and permanent fund, to be called the Larrabee Fund",

"Should there be, at times, more interest money than is wanted for the cases provided for, it can be used for sick females who are in want and for other sick and poor persons at last.” sick females who are in want and for other sick and poor persons at last",

"A permanent society of ladies formed from each church must be established, without fail, of two or more members at pleasure from each church or take special charge and distribution of the semi-yearly interest of the funds I may leave, as a still living, helping hand to those referred to in my will, and to others in want of spare means" The above instructions were carried out and on Dec. 16th 1864 two ladies from each of 17 churches in Hartford met in a building on Main St, to begin to carry out Major Larrabee's request.