The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. III, Part 40

Author: Burton, Clarence Monroe, 1853-1932, ed; Stocking, William, 1840- joint ed; Miller, Gordon K., joint ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Detroit-Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1022

USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. III > Part 40

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ALBERT T. KNOWLSON, president and founder of the A. T. Knowlson Company, wholesale electrice supplies, is one of Detroit's substantial business men and citizens. A native of Millbrook, Ontario, Can- ada, he was born June 13, 1851, a son of Matthew and Isabella (Thexton) Knowlson, both of whom were natives of England and in early life became residents of Canada. The father was engaged in general mer- chandising at Millbrook, and both he and his wife are deceased. Their family numbered six children, three of whom have passed away, the two surviving sisters of Albert T. Knowlson being: Mrs. Charlotte Montgomery, the widow of Daniel Montgomery and a resident of Toronto, Canada; and Mrs. Mary Hal- stead, the widow of Rev. William Halstead, her home being in Santa Ana, California.

Albert T. Knowlson received his early education in the public schools, after which he attended the Irwin private school at Millbrook, Ontario, and later the Military Academy at Toronto, Canada. When a young man he left Canada and went into the oil fields of Pennsylvania. At Titusville, that state, then the foremost oil center in the country, he was employed in connection with various branches of the oil busi- ness, later becoming an oil broker in the Titusville Oil Exchange. In 1882 he located at Warren, Penn- sylvania, where he continued in the oil brokerage business, remaining there until he located in Chicago. After a short time spent in that city he returned to Warren, Pennsylvania, where he resided until 1885. In the latter year he removed to Washington, Pennsyl- vania, in the early days of that oil field. Here he opened an oil brokerage business as the firm of Knowl- son, O'Donnell & Vandergrift. With the development

of the northwestern Ohio oil field Mr. Knowlson lo- cated at Findlay, Ohio, and in various sections of that field was connected with oil production. In 1890 he came to Detroit to introduce what was then the new method of incandescent gas lighting and became the exclusive distributor for the now famous Welsbach light in the city of Detroit. Notwithstand- ing the superior character of this light over the old- time gas jet, its successful introduction to the public was not without great effort and involved original methods of selling devised by Mr. Knowlson that made the territory under his direction one of the most productive fields then supplied by the Welsbach Com- pany in the country. Eight years later he became exclusive distributor of the entire Welsbach line of products for the state of Michigan and a portion of Indiana. In 1905 Mr. Knowlson entered the jobbing business, handling gas and electric supplies. Grad- ually the gas consuming devices were eliminated, so that a few years later the business became what it is at this time-wholesale electrical supplies. In Feb- ruary, 1906, it was incorporated as the A. T. Knowlson Company and Mr. Knowlson has been its president ever since. The growth of this house has been of the most substantial character and employment is now furnished to more than fifty people.

On the 14th of August, 1895, Mr. Knowlson was married to Miss Rose Elms of Findlay, Ohio, a daugh- ter of Charles and Katherine (Ransbotham) Elms. Mr. and Mrs. Knowlson have a son and a daughter, Elms Thexton and Lois Virginia, both of whom were born in Detroit. The son, born June 10, 1896, attended the Detroit University school, the Lawrenceville Prepara- tory school at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, graduating with the class of 1915, entered Princeton University and as a member of the class of 1919 left the uni- versity in his junior year to enter the United States navy, serving as coxswain until shortly after the close of the war, when he was released and returned to Detroit, where he is now associated with the A. T. Knowlson Company. Lois Virginia attended the Lig- gett school of this city for several years and for two years was a student at the Baldwin school of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, returning to Detroit to graduate from the Liggett school with her class in 1919.

Mr. Knowlson's military experience covers service with the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1876 to 1880. In his fraternal relations he is a Knights Tem- plar Mason, while in club circles he belongs to the Detroit Club, is a life member of the Detroit Boat Club, a member of the Detroit Athletic Club, the De- troit Country Club, the Players Club, the Caledon Mountain Trout Club and an associate member of the Travel Club of America. He is also a member of the Church Club of the Diocese of Michigan. For more than ten years Mr. Knowlson has been gradually re- lieving himself of business cares and responsibilities and aside from his real estate operations his interests are largely managed by others. He is a holder of con-

ALBERT T. KNOWLSON

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siderable downtown real estate and years ago showed his confidence iu the city's growth by investments in both leasehold and fee that have proven highly profit- able. Fond of travel, he has visited the principal cities and points of interest in North America, while in January, 1914, with his wife and family, he started on a half circuit of the globe, visiting mauy of the out-of-way places of Egypt, the Holy Land, southern Europe, India and Ceylon. Two years later, in com- pany with Mrs. Knowlson, the other side of the globe was visited, including Hawaii, Japan, the Philippine Islands, southern and northern China, Manchuria and Korea. His favorite recreation may be said to be trout fishing, at which he has tried his skill in the streams of the Big Horn mountains, those of the Canadian country north of Lake Superior and other noted haunts of this wonderful game fish. Mr. Knowl- son's business career in Detroit has been highly snc- cessful and his position as one of the city's valuable citizens and a full fledged "Detroiter" has been won by his never failing loyalty to those projects or movements that have been of benefit to Detroit.

OREN S. HAWES, active in the control of various important business interests in Detroit, whereby he has gained recognition as a foremost factor in con- nection with the lumber trade of the city and with other concerns having to do with commercial and finan- cial progress, has throughout his career displayed a resourcefulness that has resulted in the ready utili- zation of every opportunity that has been presented. He is now the secretary and treasurer of the O. S. Hawes Lumber Company, the secretary and treasurer of the Grayling Lumber Company, and treasurer of the Thomas Forman Company.

Mr. Hawes is a native of Massachusetts, his birth having occurred in Housatonic on the 9th of March, 1868, his parents being Stephen Starr and Mary E. (Bond) Hawes, the former a native of Canaan, Con- necticut, while the latter was born in Joliet, Illinois. Following their marriage they removed to Massachu- setts, where their remaining days were passed. The father was a well known and prosperous farmer of the good old New England type.

O. S. Hawes, their only son, spent his boyhood days in his native state and after mastering the elementary branches of learning taught in the public schools became a high school pupil at Great Barring- ton, Massachusetts. When his textbooks were put aside and he faced the business world, with oppor- tunity to choose a location, he decided upon Michigan and in 1884 made his way to Manistee, where he was employed in a hardware business, there remaining until 1893. In the meantime he became interested in the lumber trade at Manistee and in 1895 became a member of the Salling & Hanson Company. From time to time he entered upon other business con- nections, becoming a member of the Johannesburg Manufacturing Company of Johannesburg, Michigan,

of the O. S. Hawes Lumber Company of Detroit, of the Grayling Lumber Company and the Thomas For- man Company, also a wholesale lumber concern of Detroit. In fact all of these companies were con- ducting a wholesale business and in addition to these Mr. Hawes became interested in a number of retail lumber companies. He is thoroughly acquainted with every branch of the lumber trade from the point of selecting the standing timber until it becomes a marketable product. He is likewise a director of the Merchants' National Bank and throughout his busi- ness career he has displayed that firmness of pur- pose which, combined with a progressive spirit, has enabled him at all times to reach the goal for which he has started.

On the 26th of April, 1893, in Manistee, Michigan, Mr. Hawes was married to Miss Susan E. Salling, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest N. Salling, rep- resentatives of a prominent pioneer family of the state. The father is a well known lumberman, largely connected with the wholesale trade.

In politics Mr. Hawes maintains an independent course but is keenly interested in the welfare and progress of his city and bis cooperation can at all times be counted upon to further Detroit's welfare. He belongs to the Detroit Club, the Detroit Athletic Club, the Detroit Country Club, the Bloomfield Hills Country Club and in Masonry he has attained the Knights Templar degrees. All these interests, how- ever, have been made subservient to his business activities, for from the outset of his career he has recognized the fact that close application and inde- fatigable energy are indispensable elements to the attainment of prosperity in any business field. He has therefore labored diligently, studying every phase of the business, and by acquired power and broadening knowledge he has advanced to a notable and enviable place in connection with the lumber trade of Michi- gan.

WALTER M. FUCHS, manager of the Multi-Color Company, has attained a position among the most progressive of the younger business men of Detroit and is a strong supporter of every measure and move- ment that tends to better the conditions of the city along social and civic as well as commercial lines. He was born in Saxony, Germany, near the city of Leipzig, February 9, 1882, being one of the three children of Ludwig and Martha (Callomon) Fuchs, the others of the family being his brother Eric and sister Alice.

Walter M. Fuchs attended the Gymnasium and the University of Charlottenburg and during his college days took up the study of English and of other lan- guages, which he learned to speak fluently. At the age of twenty, attracted by the wonderful business opportunities in America, he came to this country, landing in New York. He immediately left the eastern metropolis, however, and went to St. Louis, where he obtained a position with the Burroughs Adding Ma-

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chine Company, working in the shop at the straighten- ing bench at a wage of seventeen and a half cents per hour. He continued in this capacity for about six months and then in 1904 came to Detroit, where he was made a member of the inspection department of the Detroit plant of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company. In 1906 he became associated with the service and sales department, in charge of the service end. He continued with the Burroughs people until 1907, when, not desiring to take a position in Mexico which the company proffered him, he resigned and became identified with his present business, which was then operating in the Penobscot building. He was made manager of the Multi-Color Company, which at that time was a small concern, doing a business of only about ten thousand dollars a year. Through the eť- forts of Mr. Fuchs this business has been greatly in- creased until its annual sales have passed the two hun- dred thousand dollar mark. The firm handles every- thing for the draughtsman, engineer, architect, artist, sign writer and interior decorator. The Multi-Color Company was the first to use an electric grouping ma- chine, the first to sensitize blue print paper in Detroit and the first to handle the Blue Line process in con- nection with photostats and also was the first to intro- duce the Raven Print process in Detroit. Mr. Fuchs has always maintained the highest standards in con- nection with his business life and his success has un- questionably been due in a large degree to the per- sonal interest he has taken in every order that has come to his attention. He has thoroughly acquainted himself with every phase and detail of the business and has displayed excellent powers in management and executive control. In addition to his connection with the Multi-Color Company he is president of the Cos- timeter Company, which was incorporated in 1916 for the manufacture of the Costimeter, a time and cost recording machine, with offices at No. 130 East Mont- calm street.

On the 10th of September, 1906, Mr. Fuchs was united in marriage to Miss Mollie Kahn, a native of Detroit and a sister of Albert Kahn, one of the lead- ing architects of the city. They have become parents of four children: Elizabeth, born December 25, 1907; Miriam, born November 5, 1909; Walter Paul, born July 19, 1914; and Albert Louis, born August 24, 1919. The family residence is at No. 62 Delaware avenue, where Mr. Fuchs has maintained his home for the past six years. He has always been a great lover of outdoor life, swimming, boating and rowing being his chief recreations. In his political views he is a re- publican but is a supporter of men rather than of party. Fraternally he is a Mason and has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in the consistory. He also belongs to the Mystic Shrine and is a member of the Rotary Club, Temple Beth El, the Phoenix Country Club, the Board of Commerce and the Men's Club, of which he is a director, and he is like- wise vice president of the United Jewish Charities.

All of these associations indicate much concerning the nature of his interests and the rules that govern his conduct. He has never allowed the attainment of suc- cess in any way to warp his kindly nature and he is constantly extending a helping hand where assistance is needed. His activities and his interests are broad and varied and he is well known as a representative business man in Detroit.

LEWIS C. WALDO. During the three decades of his residence in Detroit, Lewis C. Waldo advanced steadily to a commanding position in connection with the maritime interests which here center and at the time of his death, which occurred May 21, 1921, he was the president of the White Star Line of steamers, in which connection it was ever his purpose to make and keep the transportation interests which he con- trolled adequate to the rapid commercial and industrial development of the city with its consequent increase in shipping.

Lewis C. Waldo was a native of Ithaca, New York, his birth having there occurred August 12, 1854. When he was a year and a half old his parents, Albert G. and Sarah Diana (Kennedy) Waldo, removed from New York to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the father became the superintendent of the Decker-Saville Works, the predecessor of the great interests of the Allis-Chalmers corporation. Both Mr. and Mrs. Albert G. Waldo passed away in Milwaukee, the latter dying in 1915 at the notable old age of ninety-four years. In a family of seven children Lewis C. Waldo was the last survivor. He attended the public schools of Mil- waukee and after leaving the high school became a bookkeeper in the employ of T. A. Chapman & Com- pany, then conducting the largest dry goods house in that city. After two years Mr. Waldo went to Lud- ington, Michigan, where he became a bookkeeper in the First National Bank and was actively employed in that institution for three years, filling various positions won by promotion. On the expiration of that period he removed to Detroit and invested his capital, saved from his earnings, in the Northwestern Trans- portation Company, which owned a line of freight boats. However, he had previously had some ex- perience in this department of business activity. He had become interested in lumber operations in north- ern Michigan as part owner in a number of sawmills and in connection with the shipment of lumber he became interested in the lake marine business through the purchase of a lumber schooner, but on its second trip after Mr. Waldo's purchase this schooner was wrecked in a storm off the Twenty-second street pier in the city of Chicago. In 1889 he became interested in the building of the steamer George W. Roby, at that time the largest vessel of its type on the Great Lakes and completed at a cost of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. This vessel was used for the transportation of grain, coal and ore and a successful general traffic business was conducted under

LEWIS C. WALDO

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the active supervision of Mr. Waldo for a period of seven years, at the end of which time the boat was turned in as a part of the purchase price of the famous steamer the L. C. Waldo, built at Bay City, Michigan, and at that time one of the three largest all-steel vessels on the Great Lakes. This vessel was lost in the great storm of November, 1913. In 1892 Mr. Waldo became secretary of the Northwestern Transportation Company, which had been organized in 1869 and is one of the oldest companies operating on the lakes, but its interests are now being closed out prior to the discontinuance of the business. In 1907 Mr. Waldo was elected president of the White Star Line, following the death of A. A. Parker. This line is connected with both the freight and passenger trans- portation service, operating a number of palatial steamers between Detroit, Toledo and Port Huron. For more than a third of a century Mr. Waldo's name has been prominently known in connection with mari- time interests and throughout this period he followed a consistent purpose of not only keeping abreast with the advancement made in methods of maritime trans- portation but won a position of leadership, giving to the public the best possible service in connection with both passenger and freight interests.

At Ludington, Michigan, on the 8th of October, 1876, Mr. Waldo was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Roby, a daughter of Dr. George W. Roby, a prominent lumberman of Ludington and rep- resentative of one of the pioneer families there. Mrs. Waldo died December 1, 1919. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo became parents of seven children, two of whom died young, the others being: Ida R., who was born and educated at Ludington, Michigan, is now the wife of J. E. King of Detroit, and they have three children, Lewis, John and Mary Roby King; John R., the second member of the family, born and educated in Ludington, married Irma Mildred De Witt, and resides in Los Angeles, California; Catherine R. is now the wife of George E. Naylon, of Santa Monica, California, and they have two children, George E. and Catherine Ann Naylon; Mary R., born and reared in Ludington, is the wife of R. B. Harmon of Detroit, and they have one son, R. B., Jr .; Eloise R., born in Detroit, is the wife of Roger Buchanan of Detroit, and they have one child, Barbara.

In politics Mr. Waldo largely maintained an inde- pendent course. Fraternally he was a Mason and had taken the degrees of both York and Scottish Rites and was a past commander of the Knights Templar commandery. He belonged to the Detroit, Detroit Country, Old and Detroit Athletic Clubs and also to the Detroit Board of Commerce, while his religious faith was that of the Congregational church. His interests were wide and varied and his activities were ever a contributing factor to the upbuilding and de- velopment of the city and state along many lines. He was the architect of his own fortunes and builded wisely and well. Reaching out along constantly Vol. III-23

broadening lines, he recognized and utilized opportun- ities which others passed heedlessly by. Study of the business situation, thoroughness and systematization were strong elements in the attainment of his success. He closely studied transportation problems, acquaint- ing himself with every phase of the business even to its minutest detail, and in giving to the public adequate service he promoted his fortunes to a point of most enviable prosperity.

F. F. BECKMAN is regarded as one of the leading and most reliable fur manufacturers of Detroit, where he has built up an extensive business. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, February 26, 1881, and is a son of Fred F. and Marie (Flame) Beckman, who were also natives of Illinois, and for many years maintained a residence in Chicago, and the mother is still living in that city, where the father was engaged in the whole- sale paper business for many years, or until the time of his death. In their family were eight children: Joseph; John; August; Otto; William; Marie, now the wife of Frank Ruh; Anna; and F. F. of this review.

The last named attended the parochial schools of Chicago and started out on his business career as an employe of Marshall Field & Company. He was as- signed to the fur department and accepted a minor position in order that he might thoroughly learn furs and everything connected with their care and sale. His first work was in sorting furs aud after remaining with the fur department of Marshall Field for some time he secured a similar position with the firm of Mandel Brothers of Chicago, and with that house he was advanced to the position of assistant manager. He afterward resigned to become manager for Wil- liam Taylor & Sons' department store, of Cleveland, Ohio, with whom he continued for seven years. He then came to Detroit to look after the trade and rec- ognized a chance to enter business here. When Mr. Zanger decided to sell ont his fur store, Mr. Beckman became the purchaser, and since 1916 has carried on the business very successfully. He now has the most representative fur trade in the city. He handles nothing but the highest grade of furs and his patron- age is of a most exclusive character. Many of the finest furs worn in Detroit were manufactured in the workshops of the Beckman store and it is a recog- nized fact that few men are more thoroughly familiar with the real value of fur than is Mr. Beckman and no establishment displays a more thoroughly up-to-date line in style and manufacture than does the one of which he is the head.

On the 26th of April, 1907, Mr. Beckman was mar- ried to Miss Anna Griebenow of Chicago, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Griebenow. They have be- come the parents of two children: Fred W., born in Chicago in 1908, and now attending school in Detroit; and Arthur Richard, who was born in Cleveland in 1911 and is also a public school pupil in Detroit. Mr. Beckman belongs to the Catholic church and is a third

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degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He also has membership with the Vortex Club and the Board of Commerce, with the Detroit Automobile Club, and the Detroit Yacht Club.

CHARLES A. BERKEY. One of the substantial commercial interests of Detroit is the jewelry house of The Charles A. Berkey Company, of which the sub- ject of this review is and has been the president and manager since its organization. While this firm is well known in the city as one of the prominent retail jewelers, it is also a large wholesaler of goods to the jewelers in this territory and manufacturer of high class emblem jewelry which has attained distinction among the better class of trade throughout the country.

Charles A. Berkey was born near Ebensburg, Penn- sylvania, March 28, 1870, the oldest son of Joshua and Hannah Barbara (Mahan) Berkey, also natives of the Keystone state, whence they removed to Michigan in 1875. Here the father became interested in the lumber business at Cassopolis, in which he was engaged until the early nineties when he retired from business. His death occurred in November, 1919. He had served in the 131st, 133d and 135th Pennsylvania Volun- teers for more than three years during the Civil war as a private and though he participated in many en- gagements he was never wounded. His wife is still living. Their family numbered four children: E. Elmer of Rivers, Manitoba, Canada; William Howard, editor of the Cassopolis Vigilant of Cassopolis, Mich- igan; Arthur M., who saw service in France with the A. E. F. and is now associated with his brother on the Vigilant; and Charles A.

Upon leaving the high school in 1887, Charles A. Berkey entered upon an apprenticeship to the jewelry trade under Irving S. Sherman, with whom he re- mained until late in 1889. He then went to Chicago, where, after a time spent with J. I. Snyder, jeweler, he entered the employ of J. M. Porter, a wholesale dealer in jewelers' supplies, as a traveling salesman. In 1891 he came to Detroit to take a similar position with Eugene Deimel, Detroit's most prominent whole- sale jewelry house at that time, and with whom he remained several years, leaving this firm to represent Chicago's great wholesale jewelry house, Benjamin Allen & Company. After several successful years with this firm, Mr. Berkey again came to Detroit, entering the employ of the Eugene Deimel Company (now Noack & Gorenflo), where he remained until embarking in business for himself in 1900.

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The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. III, Part 40

Author: Burton, Clarence Monroe, 1853-1932, ed; Stocking, William, 1840- joint ed; Miller, Gordon K., joint ed Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Detroit-Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1022

Author: Burton, Clarence Monroe, 1853-1932, ed; Stocking, William, 1840- joint ed; Miller, Gordon K., joint ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Detroit-Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1022