A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III, Part 6

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1106

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III > Part 6

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J. C. McWATTERS.

In a history of the enterprising business men of Cleveland it is well that men- tion should be made of J. C. McWatters, not only from the fact that he is a self- made man who has achieved notable and creditable success but also owing to the fact that his labors have been a stimulus in general business activity and the practical value of his opinions concerning vital questions relative to the trade in- terests of the city has again and again been demonstrated.

Mr. McWatters was born in Newtonville, Canada, September 17, 1853, and is of Scotch lineage, his parents, John and Jean (Copeland) McWatters, both being natives of Scotland. The father, a carpenter and contractor, died in New- tonville, Canada, about 1862, while his wife survived him for more than four decades, passing away in Cleveland in October, 1904.

J. C. McWatters spent the first ten years of his life in his native village, after which he was a resident of Toronto, Canada, to the age of twenty years. Through- out that period he was employed in a furnishing goods store and during that period successive promotion advanced him to the position of head clerk. At the age of twenty years he came to Cleveland, entering the employ of Mabley & Hull, dealers in clothing and men's furnishings. He acted as salesman in the boys' clothing department and his efficiency, perseverance and fidelity were man- ifest in the fact that six years later he became a partner of Mr. Hull under the firm style of E. R. Hull & Company. In 1893 another change in partnership led to the adoption of the firm style of E. R. Hull & Dutton, Mr. McWatters, how- ever, remaining as general manager until ten years ago, when he resigned to establish business on his own account, becoming senior partner of the McWat- ters-Dolan Company, dealers in clothing and men's furnishings. From the be- ginning he has been president of the company and the interprise from the outset has proved a profitable undertaking. Business was begun at the present location at Nos. 238-240 Superior avenue, Northeast, when the street was called Little Egypt and was the poorest lighted street in the city. At night there was not a light on the street or in any store window. Mr. McWatters at once began the task of securing street lights and well lighted stores, and after a year's hard work succeeded. Since that time rents have quadrupled and this has become one of the best business locations in the city. Aside from conducting a prosperous and growing mercantile establishment, Mr. McWatters is also interested to some ex- tent in Cleveland real estate. He is recognized as one of the most enterprising and energetic business men of the city and is a valued member of the Retail Mer- chants Board and of the Chamber of Commerce, in both of which he has been very active, serving on numerous important committees.

On the 9th of July, 1878, Mr. McWatters was married in Wolcott, New York, to Miss Florence E. Russell, a daughter of George H. Russell of that place. They were the parents of seven children, of whom five are living: Laura Wini- fred, who is the wife of Harry D. James, a wholesale grocer of Cleveland, and has three children, Thomas H., Russell H. and Florence Beatrice ; Florence, J. S. Kirk, Lillian and Robert Alexander, all at home.

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. Mr. McWatters by no means limits his activity to business affairs or to co- operation in movements relative only to the material progress of the city. In church and social circles he is well known. He was one of the founders of the Trinity Congregational church, was president of its building committee and has been a member of its board of trustees since its organization. He also belongs to the Masonic fraternity and to the Elks and Owls lodges and to the Cleveland Automobile Club, enjoying the social interests offered by club life. Capable of judging life's purposes, contacts and experiences, while he has made a credit- able record in commercial circles he is never too busy to be cordial or too cordial to be busy.

CHARLES TUDOR WILLIAMS.

Charles Tudor Williams, manager of the Cleveland Box Company and one of the most highly esteemed business men of Cleveland, who during a long and active life has seen the city develop marvelously and the volume of its trade ex- pand to its present proportions, was born here in 1839. He is a son of William Williams, who was born in Connecticut in 1803, and was brought west when he was about ten years old from East Windsor, Connecticut. The father of Wil- liam was Ebenezer Williams. Growing up William Williams kept a tavern for a short time at Painesville, and then went to Warren, Ohio, where he was clerk and later cashier for the Western Reserve Bank, of which Zalmon Fitch, after- ward his father-in-law, was president. Some time later Zalmon Fitch went to Cleveland as president of the Bank of Cleveland and William Williams to Buf- falo, where he resided for a time, and then removed to Cleveland. Zalmon Fitch was one of the founders and president of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, which was afterward merged into the Pennsylvania lines. The death of this sturdy, reliable business pioneer occurred in 1860. William Williams married his daughter, Laura Fitch, who was born in 1815, in Warren, Ohio, coming of an old and distinguished family. Her death occurred in 1852.

Charles Tudor Williams took a high-school course and then entered the West- ern Reserve College then located at Hudson, Ohio. Following this he studied medicine in the Cleveland Medical College, finally becoming a tutor in the West- ern Reserve College. It was while he was acting in this capacity, that the entire college responded to the call for troops, the students in the ranks and the pro- fessors commanding. They enlisted for sixty days in the Eighty-fifth Ohio Reg- iment, Company B, but served nearly four months, making a brilliant record.

After leaving the college, Mr. Williams engaged in business with E. L. Day at Kent, Ohio, under the firm name of the Kent Rock Glass Company, and con- tinued this association for twenty years. The business was closed when natural gas was discovered, for, as there was none at Kent, competitors fortunate enough to secure the new fuel, could underbid those without it and dependent upon coal. While looking about for another investment, Mr. Williams went to Cleveland and accepted the chair in Greek in the Cleveland high school, but in 1893 he went to Chicago, where for five years he did a large business in importing foreign sugars and fruits. In 1898 the management of the Cleveland Box Company was offered him, and he returned to this city to discharge its duties. Under his capa- ble and energetic control, the business has been remarkably successful, now ex- tending all over the country. The company manufacture a general line of boxes but have their own special one which has been patented.

In addition to other interests, Mr. Williams is a director of the Merchants & Manufacturers Insurance Company, of Janesville, Illinois; is a member of the board of directors of the General Package Company of New York city; is a stockholder of the Union Casualty Company of Philadelphia; director of the Lake Superior Construction Company; a stockholder in the New River Coal

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

Company of McDonald, West Virginia, as well as a number of other concerns of like magnitude.

Mr. Williams was married in 1855 to Mary P. Carver, a native of Kent, Ohio, who died in Chicago in 1896, leaving two sons, both of Chicago: Dr. William Carver Williams and Day Williams. In 1907 Mr. Williams married Marie Carl- son, a native of Sweden.

Not only has Mr. Williams been so active in business and educational affairs, but he has made his influence felt in social and improvement organizations, be- ing a member of the governing board of the Employers Association Club, presi- dent of the Local Box Manufacturing Association Club, a member of the board of directors of the National Box Association of the United States, and interested in several others. He belongs to the Alpha Delta Phi and is a member of the Hoo Hoo Club. While casting his vote for the republican ticket in national mat- ters, his influence is exerted for the best man locally. He and his wife belong to the Swedish Lutheran church of this city.

By firm determination and constant painstaking effort Mr. Williams has achieved much during his career as a business man. Unlike many of his asso- ciates he is a highly educated man, and demonstrates every day the advantages of a college training. However, his natural bent is such that he would have reached the top even if he had never had the educational advantages he did. He finds recreation in travel, literature, gardening, fishing and boating, and his fad is flowers.

STEWART HENRY CHISHOLM.

Stewart Henry Chisholm, a son of Henry and Jean (Allan) Chisholm, was born in Montreal, Canada, December 21, 1846, and the Cleveland public schools afforded him his educational opportunities. When school days were over he en- tered the employ of the firm of Stone, Chisholm & Jones, and the business in its reorganization became known as the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company, while later it became a branch of the United States Steel Company under the name of the American Steel & Wire Company. As time passed Stewart H. Chisholm made steady progress in his connection with that important enterprise and is today one of the most prominent representatives of the steel and iron trade in Cleveland, one of the most important centers of the trade in the country. He served for a number of years as vice president of the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company and also was elected to the vice presidency of the American Steel & Wire Company. Capable and resourceful, he was chosen to the presidency of the Chisholm & Moore Manufacturing Company and to the Long Arm System Company, and is a director in numerous important business and banking institutions which are leading features in the commercial, industrial and financial life of this city.

Attractive home surroundings and club associations are an indication of the social nature of Mr. Chisholm, whose friends delight in his companionship, which is characterized by unfeigned cordiality. He was married in 1872 to Miss Har- riet Kelley, a daughter of George A. and Martha J. (Eastland) Kelley, of Kel- leys Island. Twenty-three years passed, and Mrs. Chisholm was called to her final rest in 1895, leaving three sons : Wilson K., a graduate of Yale University of the class of 1898 and now treasurer of the Chisholm & Moore Manufacturing Company; Clifton, with large ranch interests in New Mexico; and Douglas, a Yale man of 1909, who is now purchasing agent for the Chisholm & Moore Manufacturing Company. In 1900 Mr. Chisholm was again married, his second union being with Mrs. H. P. Cord, who died in 1901. As a club man Mr. Chis- holm is well known in the Union, Country and Roadside Clubs of Cleveland, the New York Yacht Club and the Manhattan Club of New York. His political in- dorsement is given to the republican party and liberal support to the Euclid ave-

STEWART H. CHISHOLM

HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

nue Baptist church, in which he holds membership. The leisure which is a man- ifestation of success, enables him to indulge his interests in golf, hunting, fishing and yachting. A resident of Cleveland for sixty years, the evidences of his busi- ness ability are many, and the salient features of his life record are such as have given him prominence in the highest social circles, so that he is often a familiar figure in those places where the most interesting men of Cleveland gather.

EBENEZER HENRY BOURNE.

As one reviews the past history and takes cognizance of those who have been the builders of Cleveland and the promoters of her greatness it is at once manifest that Ebenezer Henry Bourne, now deceased, bore an important part in the work of improvement in various lines. His name is inseparably connected with its manufacturing interests, its political activity and its moral development. He left the impress of his individuality for good upon its records in all these lines and his influence was at all times potent, far-reaching and beneficial.

A native of Wareham, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, Ebenezer H. Bourne was born on the 22d of October, 1840. A' contemporary biographer has given his ancestral record as follows: "He is descended from Richard Bourne, who was born in England. It is not quite certain as to the date of the latter's arrival in this country but he is on record as an inhabitant of Scituate as early as 1630. Possibly he may have been at Plymouth earlier than this, but in 1637, the year following, he moved into Barnstable county, settling at Sandwich, coming there with Edward Freeman and others, and was one of the original settlers of that town and in the first circumstantial account of the first church established there, he is recorded as one of the eleven male members. The town was incorporated in 1639 and was in that year represented in general court by Richard Bourne and John Vincent. In 1650 he was granted a levy, 'in consideration of his labor and pains he hath taken in business concerning the town, as in selling the lands to satisfy the committee.' Richard Bourne is deserving of more than passing mention, for he was one of the most useful men in the colony and filled many high and important positions, whose life and history are of deep interest to the reader of men and events and whose name bears a luster and fragrance after the lapse of more than two and a half centuries. He was associated with John Elliott, the great apostle to the Indians, John Cotton, and others and was the first teacher among the Mashpee Indians. Elliott was born in 1603 and established a church among the aborigines at Natick in 1646 and it is said that his example and influence were suggestive of the work in which Mr. Bourne finally engaged with so much zeal. The latter being possessed of large property brought with him in cash from England at his first coming over, he was enabled to make valuable investments in land that secured to his children a rich inheri- tance. He was also a man of learning and from the first took high rank in the colony. His interest in the Indians seemed to know no bounds and so much public attention had his labors attracted that in 1666 Governor Price, Thomas Southworth, Thomas Cushman and others went to Sandwich, for the purpose of an interview with him, that they might judge for themselves of the progress he was making and of the character of the work he was doing. This interview created not only the greatest respect and admiration on their part for Mr. Bourne, but also satisfied them that the Indian was susceptible of spiritual and mental improvement, both of which many had professed to doubt. There were other reasons for his success ; one was 'that his life and conduct was most exemplary, thereby securing the respect and confidence of the natives' and the other one was 'that he procured for them certain lands for their own.' In 1658 he assisted in the settlement of a boundary between the Indians and proprietors of Barn- stable at Mashpee and obtained. at considerable expense to himself. the patent for the South Sea Indians, as they were styled in the deeds of that time. He

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considered it entirely useless to undertake the propogation of Christianity of any people without a home where they might remain upon their own soil and where permanent future interests should hang and dwell. This view of the case, time and experience have abundantly justified his excellent judgment and careful, wise planning and sowing did not end in simply having Indian deeds duly authenticated but his second son, carrying out the views and intentions of his father, after the latter's decease, produced a ratification by the court at Plymouth of the Mashpee grant to the Indians and their children forever and . in this confirmation he caused the judicious provision to be inserted that no conveyance from the Indians to the English should be valid without the con- sent of all the Indians even though the general court might consent. And thus it is that, because of this just and humane provision, the Mashpee Indians still hold the lands of their fathers. After a number of years of active and successful work, in 1670 he was ordained pastor of an Indian church. Ordina- tion services were performed by the famous Elliott, Mr. Cotton and other emi- nent ministers assisting. There were likewise many celebrities of the colony present, among them Governor Winslow and Mr. Southworth. He was twice married, first to Miss Hallet and second to one of the Winslow family. His knowledge of the Indian language was of the utmost value and gave to the Indians great confidence and when a general plan was formed to slay all the settlers his influence saved the colony and his services were worth more than an army. He died in 1682, mourned and missed by the white man, and missed and mourned by the red man. Many of his descendants have also been promi- nent and have kept bright the family name-among them the second son, above referred to, the steady patron and director of the Indians and who succeeded him in his Mashpee inheritance and in his offices. The latter's son, Ezra, was president of the court of sessions and the first justice of the court of common pleas in his county. Another descendant, Sylvanus, was long engaged in com- merce and amassed great wealth as a merchant. He was also a register of probate and afterwards judge. He was born in 1695, died in 1782, leaving a wife, Mercy Gorham, who, in her will mentioned her husband's 'silver-hilted sword,' his grandfather's 'large silver tankard,' much other plate and the coat- of-arms. Another Sylvanus, son of Melatiah, born in 1722, was a captain and consul at Amsterdam. Dr. Richard, born in 1739, brother of the last named, was the first appointed postmaster at Barnstable, which office he held till the close of his life. He was a man much beloved, of the strictest integrity and his accounts with the government balanced to a penny."

Sylvanus Bourne, the father of E. H. Bourne, was a native of Wareham, Massachusetts, and was widely known in that section of the country, especially in connection with the operation and management of railway interests. He was at one time civil engineer of the Cape Cod Railway and through successive promotions became manager, superintendent and treasurer of the company. He wedded Miss Hannah Smith, also a native of Wareham, her father being extensively and successfully engaged in ship-building and widely known as an influential citizen.

At the usual age Ebenezer H. Bourne entered the public schools of Ware- ham, there pursuing his studies until he was sent to Pierce Academy at Middle- boro, Massachusetts, when thirteen years of age. There he devoted three years to study in preparation for a college course but trouble with his eyes compelled him to put aside his text-books and abandon for a time as he thought, his con- templated college course. It proved, however, that he was never again to re- sume his interrupted course and although this seemed to him a great hardship at times, like many of the difficulties of life, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

No longer able to study Mr. Bourne turned his attention to business, and the utilization of the chances which he sought and found brought him to a prominent position in the business world. He made his initial step toward

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prosperity as an employe of the Cape Cod, afterward the Old Colony Railroad, with which he was connected for ten years, his ability gaining him promotion from time to time until he became assistant treasurer of the road, occupying that position during the latter years of his service. The west, however, with its many natural resources and its constantly expanding opportunities, seemed to call him and at the age of twenty-six years, in 1866, he arrived in Cleveland, where he organized the Bourne, Damon & Knowles Manufacturing Company, for the manufacture of washers, nuts and similar devices, this being the first enterprise of the kind in northern Ohio. It met a need in industrial circles and immediate success attended the efforts of the proprietors, who engaged in manu- facturing everything in their line, their output including equipment in their special field for large vessels, gigantic bridges or the most delicate and intricate musical instruments. When Mr. Damon sold out in 1871 the firm continued as Bourne & Knowles and in 1881 the business was reorganized as a stock company under the name, Bourne & Knowles Manufacturing Company. Along the legitimate lines of trade the business has been expanded, its sales increasing by reason of the worth of the output and the reliability of the house in all trade transactions. In course of time there was not a town of any considerable size in the United States that did not handle their product and everywhere they gave thorough satisfaction. On the formation of the stock company Mr. Bourne was elected president and was also the chief executive officer of the Cleveland Spring Company, which was founded in 1868 and employed more than one hundred skilled workmen, its products being also sold throughout America and in many foreign lands. The company manufactured carriage, wagon, car and seat springs, and the extent of their business was indicated by the fact that theirs was one of the largest plants of the kind in the entire country. Mr. Bourne became also widely known as a prominent factor in financial circles, being chosen cashier of the Union National Bank of Cleveland when it was organized in 1884 with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. He was also made one of its directors and remained in official connection there- with until his demise, serving for some time prior to his death as its president. The wisdom of his judgment was again and again demonstrated in the success- ful outcome of interests with which he was associated and the most envious could not grudge him his prosperity so honorably was it won and so worthily was it used.

On the 9th of October, 1861, Mr. Bourne was united in marriage to Miss Olivia H. Norris, a daughter of Captain John Norris, of Hyannis, Massachusetts. Unto them were born four children. He was again married at Brighton, Mas- sachusetts, October 22, 1902, his second union being with Lucy Oliver Thacher, a daughter of Captain Oliver Thacher, of Yarmouth, Massachusetts. He died of paralysis on the 24th of April, 1908, after an illness of three days, and was laid to rest in Lakeview cemetery. Mr. Bourne was devoted to the welfare of his family, counting no personal sacrifice too great if it would enhance the welfare and interests of the members of his own household. His interests were always on the side of those things which promote intellectual, esthetic and moral culture. He attended the services of the Unitarian church and was a member of the Society of the Unity, a literary and social institution of much merit. He was also a member of the Union, Euclid and Country Clubs.

His political allegiance was unfalteringly given to the republican party and his citizenship was characterized by a stalwart championship of the measures and movements which he deemed indispensable in promoting good government. In 1888 he was appointed city treasurer of Cleveland to fill out an unexpired term and in 1889 was called to the office by popular suffrage for a term of two years. His commercial and official integrity none questioned and all delighted to honor him because he was worthy of the unqualified respect and good-will of his associates. For some time he was the president of the National A'sso- ciation of Spring Manufacturers of the United States and he was ever willing

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to give to trade relations the benefit of his broad experience and sound judg- ment. While forced to abandon his idea of a college education there were few college-bred men better informed on the general interests and questions of the day whose views of life were saner and whose efforts were of a more practical or far-reaching benefit to their fellowmen. At all times he displayed a spirit that prompted him to extend a helping hand to those in need of assistance. He believed that there is good in all men and this belief served to encourage and stimulate valuable qualities in others. While there was nothing further from his thoughts than posing as an example, nevertheless his life work in all of its honorable activities and far-reaching results constitutes a pattern which may well be followed by those who desire their lives to count for the utmost as factors in the world's progress and uplifting.

CHARLES A. OTIS.

Charles A. Otis, proprietor and publisher of the Cleveland News, and senior member of the firm of Otis & Hough, is of the third generation of one of Cleve- land's prominent families and one that has for more than three-quarters of a century taken an active part in the affairs of this city. A grandson of William A. Otis and a son of Charles A. Otis, both of whom are represented elsewhere in this work, he was born in Cleveland, July 9, 1868. His education was gained at Brook's Military School in Cleveland, the Phillips Exeter Academy at Ando- ver, Massachusetts, and Yale University, from which institution he was grad- uated in 1890 ,with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. A course at Columbia Law School, in New York city, concluded his educational training.

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume III, Part 6

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1106

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1106