USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Cleveland, Ohio, pictorial and biographical. De luxe supplement, Volume I > Part 8
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Cleveland may be taken as a barometer of sales and it may be of interest to note that the demand for the Peerless product in 1908 showed an increase of forty per cent over 1907. The selling season of 1909 which is now closed shows an increase of fifty per cent over the sales made in Cleveland during 1908. Mr. Kittredge by no means takes unto himself entire credit for the development of the business. He has surrounded himself with a corps of able assistants and colleagues of whose work he is thoroughly appreciative, know- ing that they have rendered signal service in the building up of this mammoth industry.
Mr. Kittredge is a member of Unity church and his name is on the membership rolls of the Mayfield Country, Euclid, Union, Clif- ton, Cleveland Athletic and Automobile Clubs, of Cleveland, and of the Automobile Club of America, of New York city. One cannot meet him without being impressed with his alert manner and spirit of enterprise and, yet, he is never too busy to be cordial and cour- teous, for he has keen appreciation for companionship and the social amenities of life.
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Newton & Fisher
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A. D. Fisher
W HILE N. D. Fisher was well known as one of the prosperous representatives of the lumber trade in Cleveland, his social qualities won for him an equally wide and favorable acquaintance and his broad in- formation and ready expression led him frequently to be called upon to address public gatherings, on with occasions his remarks were always of a most well chosen na- ture. The breadth of his information, his appreciation for and un- derstanding of the deeper experiences of life and the wise use which he made of opportunities, combined to make him a man among men, honored and respected wherever known and most highly esteemed where best known.
The birth of Mr. Fisher occurred in Wellington, Ohio, and he was always proud of the thought that he was a native of the state for which he ever had a most loyal attachment. He was descended from New England ancestry, his father having come from Connec- ticut to Ohio, here establishing his home within thirty miles of Cleveland. Reared under the parental roof, N. D. Fisher supple- mented his public-school education by a college preparatory course, which he left unfinished that he might join Company H of the sec- ond Ohio Cavalry in defense of the Union cause, enlisting when he was but eighteen years of age. He at once became popular among his comrades and promotions followed at every available oppor- tunity until he became captain of the company. There were hun- dreds who entered the service, yet boys in their understanding of life, who came out men not in years alone but in all of those expe- riences which ripen and season manhood, causing the individual to understand the value of daily experiences and opportunities. A self-reliant character developed in Captain Fisher, together with the ability to maintain discipline among his men, while at the same time he enjoyed their fullest regard, having great appreciation for the comradeship that grew up among the soldiers and in many in- stances endured while life lasted. His experiences in the line of his military duty were many and varied and with a most creditable war record he returned to his home.
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Entering business life, Captain Fisher's record in commercial circles never at any step manifested retrogression. On the contrary he so combined and manipulated his forces as to become recognized as one of the most prominent lumbermen of Cleveland. He was widely known as president of the Fisher & Wilson Company, his associates in his later years being his cousin, E. L. Fisher, who was vice president and treasurer of the company, and A. M. Allyn, sec- retary. This company was organized in 1884 after the death of H. V. Wilson, of the firm of Fisher, Wilson & Company, in which concern N. D. Fisher had become interested in 1878. He was, how- ever, associated with the lumber trade of Cleveland from 1866, at which time he entered the employ of Bottsford & Potter, wholesale lumber dealers of this city. Until within a few years of his death he remained one of the most active, aggressive and foremost lumber operators on Lake Erie. He was always very successful in his un- dertakings in that direction, his company becoming large distribu- ters of hardwood lumber, the trade extending over a wide territory. He was very prominent and popular among lumber men of this sec- tion of the country and was several times president of the Cleveland Lumbermen's Board, and in that position reflected those sterling qualities which brought him to a leading place among the business men of the Forest city. When he presided at the banquets or other social functions of the board, his abilities and character were evident to and honored by all present. His marked traits were energy coup- led with deliberation, keenness of discernment with soundness of judgment, amiability reinforced with indomitable perseverance.
In Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1868, Mr. Fisher was married to Miss Imogene Telford, who was born in the state of New York but was at that time residing in Michigan. They became the parents of six children, but only two are living: Lee B., of this city, and L. Blanche, at home with her mother. Mr. Fisher was devoted to his family and his wealth perhaps gave him no greater pleasure than from the fact that it enabled him to provide a luxurious home for his wife and children. As a friend expressed it, "He was of frugal mind and yet no inherent frugality prompted him to unwisely mod- erate his charities nor restrain his benefactions to his fellowmen." He gave freely of his means to every good cause. He held member- ship in the Disciples church and his connection therewith was a bond of sympathy between him and President Garfield, of whom he had long been a valued friend, for the latter also held membership with the same church. He displayed excellent abilities as presiding offi- cer and was a most entertaining and at times brilliant after-dinner speaker. He could be called upon on almost any occasion and would
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respond readily and to the point. It has been said that he was never known to write out a speech, although he was many times called upon to employ his talents in that direction. His interest in public affairs and the welfare of the state was indicated by his attendance at political meetings and his efforts to nominate his friends for office, yet at no time was he an aspirant for political preferment. His recreation came through his annual summer vacations in Wiscon- sin, which were usually spent at Ashland, that state, although he frequently took a fishing trip up the Brule river. He was also fond of fine horses and usually kept an excellent driving team. He passed away November 17, 1893, after an illness of several years, to which his intellect and buoyant disposition never succumbed. When he was laid to rest, the funeral services being conducted by Rev. S. L. Darsie, pastor of Franklin Circle Disciples church, many friends of the family, together with his late associates in the lumber trade and the members of the Grand Army of the Republic, assembled to pay their last tribute of respect to one whose splendid qualities made his friendship valued and will cause his memory to be cherished for years to come. Since 1888 the family home has been at what is now 1620 Prospect street.
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go Darley,
Jay P. Dawley
J AY P. DAWLEY, of equal fame in criminal and civil law, having devoted the earlier years of his practice to the former department of jurisprudence and later years to the latter, was born in Ravenna, Portage county, Ohio, March 7, 1847. His father, Perry P. Dawley, is also a native of Ravenna, born in 1823, and comes of an old family that for generations has been represented in America but is originally of Scotch and English lineage, one of the Dawleys having been a chieftain of a Scotch clan. For a consid- erable period the family was represented in New England, the birth of Daniel Dawley, the grandfather, occurring in Vermont. He was a farmer by occupation and, leaving New England, removed to Ra- venna, Ohio, being one of its earliest settlers. There Perry P. Daw- ley was reared and became a farmer of Portage county, devoting his life to agricultural pursuits. He also filled the position of county commissioner for many years and was a man of considerable local prominence. He wedded Rebecca Clements, who was born about 1820 and died in 1850. She, too, belonged to an old New England family that for generations was represented in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Jay P. Dawley was educated in the Union school at Ravenna, Ohio, and in the Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio, and in September, 1873, was admitted to the bar on passing an examina- tion before a committee that was appointed by the circuit court, as was the custom in those days. He at once entered upon the active practice of law, forming a partnership with Silas M. Stone, under the firm style of Dawley & Stone. For three years this relation was maintained, after which Mr. Stone went to New York and Mr. Daw- ley subsequently joined Judge J. K. and A. C. Hord in the firm of Hord, Dawley & Hord. This continued until 1882, when the firm of Foran & Dawley was formed, the partnership existing for twelve years, or until 1894. Mr. Dawley was afterward for a short period in partnership with ex-Mayor McKisson, since which time he has been alone. He has ranked as one of the foremost criminal lawyers at the Cleveland bar and of late years has enjoyed a large practice
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in civil law. His early reputation, however, was made in the branch of criminal law and he advises young men to follow the same course that he pursued, believing that the defense of the liberties of the citizen well qualifies one to understand the best methods of defend- ing the property rights. It is more difficult to practice criminal than civil law, for in the former one must be constantly on the alert and on his guard all the time. Many cases with which he has been connected have attracted widespread attention and he has probably acted for the defense in more murder cases than any other lawyer of Cleveland and has been very successful in his practice. He was the principal counsel in the Cassie Chadwick case, being attorney for Mrs. Chadwick and was also one of the leading attorneys in the case of determining the constitutionality of the liquor laws of Ohio in 1884. He acted for the defense in the Moran murder case, Moran being accused of the murder of Fox and Blakesley on Christmas eve of 1891. He was convicted of murder in the second degree but was afterward pardoned. In later years Mr. Dawley has withdrawn somewhat from the department of criminal law practice and has given his attention more to corporation law and the trial of impor- tant civil cases. For a number of years he has been one of the at- torneys of the Cleveland Electric Railway Company and was one of the counsel for Olga Nethersole in her libel case against the Cleve- land Leader. These are but a few of many important cases with which he has been and is now connected. He does all his own brief- ing and prepares his cases himself, employing no assistants in the office and therefore going to the trial thoroughly prepared with comprehensive personal understanding of every point bearing upon the cause. He has endeavored in recent years to retire somewhat from active practice but finds it difficult to do so because of the per- sistent demands of would-be clients for his services. He is a member of the Cleveland Bar Association and the profession as well as the general public accord him high rank as one of the most prominent representatives of the legal fraternity of Cleveland.
Mr. Dawley is entitled to wear the Grand Army button from the fact that on the 19th of May, 1864, when but seventeen years of age, he offered his services to the government and became a private of Company C, Eleventh Ohio Infantry. He acted as an orderly on the staff of General Jefferson C. Davis, who was a cousin of Jefferson Davis of the southern Confederacy. He remained with the army for a year, taking part in the Atlanta campaign, the march to the sea under Sherman and the battle of Goldsboro. He was mustered out in May, 1865, and participated in the grand review, the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere.
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He has always been active in support of measures pertaining to the municipal welfare, but is a lawyer and not a politician, never seeking nor desiring the rewards of office for his political allegiance, which is unfalteringly given to the republican party. He has, however, done valuable service for the city in various ways, including four years as a member of the board of education and also as a member of the library board. These offices, however, are not of a political character and in many other tangible ways has he given proof of his public spirit.
On the 12th of September, 1873, Mr. Dawley was united in mar- riage to Miss Iva G. Canfield, a daughter of Harrison and Lydia (Frarey) Canfield, of Corry, Pennsylvania. Unto them have been born four children. Frances C., a graduate of Miss Middleberg's Seminary of Cleveland and educated in music and modern languages in Germany and France, is now the wife of Harry L. Shafer, of Los Angeles, California, and has one child, Lee. William J., a graduate of the Harvard Law School of 1908, is now assisting his father in practice. Arthur A., is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy of Massachusetts and is now a senior of Adelbert College of Ohio. Ruby Louise, was educated in Mary Baldwin Seminary of Virginia. The wife and mother, who was born in October, 1850, died October 6, 1900. Mr. Dawley is a member of the Cleveland Yacht Club and of the Masonic fraternity, and his son William is the youngest thirty-second degree Mason in the state. He is the possessor of one the finest private libraries in Cleveland of a general character, em- bracing science, biography and general literature and he also has a fine law library. His leisure hours are largely devoted to reading and he is particularly fond of writers of standard fiction, his favorite author being Dickens. He greatly enjoys the interpretation of char- acter as presented by the leading authors of ancient and modern times and his reading along scientific lines has been equally broad and varied. He is a man of broad general culture as well as marked ability in the profession of law and finds his friends in those social circles where intellectuality is a necessary attribute to congeniality.
I.A. Bidwell.
Jason A. Bidwell
P ROMINENT along the lines of manufacturing that are a phase of the iron industry and have contributed largely to Cleveland's industrial growth for more than a third of a century is the business of screw manufact- uring, and to no individual is there so much credit due for the establishment and development of this indus- try as to the gentleman whose name heads this review-Jason A. Bid- well, who may justly be termed the father of this industry in Cleve- land. He was born December 17, 1830, in the town of Landaff, New Hampshire, a son of Jason and Sally (Peck) Bidwell. The father was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, March 3, 1782, a son of Nathaniel Bidwell, whose wife was a Miss Bigsby. Nathaniel Bidwell was descended from John Bidwell, one of the early settlers and a landholder of Hartford, Connecticut, in 1639. It is believed that nearly all bearing the name of Bidwell in this country are de- scendants of this John. The family is one of high standing and is connected by marriage with many eminent families, among whom may be mentioned that of President Stiles, of Yale University. The mother of Jason A. Bidwell was a daughter of Truman Peck, a soldier of the Revolution. The marriage of James Bidwell and Sally Peck was celebrated at Grafton, New Hampshire, in 1807, and the following July they started with an ox-team and their household effects for Littleton, New Hampshire, a town then but recently granted to new settlers. At that time it was a wilderness of pine forest, including the finest specimens of that kind of timber to be found in America, many of the trees being five feet in diameter and reaching a height of one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet be- fore there was a knot or limb. There the Bidwell family lived for sixteen years, undergoing the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life and forming habits of industry, frugality and uprightness which made marked impressions on their posterity. In 1823 they removed to Landaff, where Jason A. Bidwell was born. In 1835 he accompanied his parents to Franconia, where he resided until fourteen years of age, when he left home and entered the business field, wherein he has since labored with ceaseless activity, usefulness
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and credit. Although his pecuniary aid was decidedly limited, but few men have met with more success in their undertakings. In 1844, with the enthusiasm common to youth and with the determination and courage rarely met with in one so young, and with intelligent ideas and possibilities of life, he laid the foundation for his later suc- cess by becoming an apprentice to the E. & T. Fairbanks Company of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. There, working fourteen hours a day, he learned the blacksmith's trade, his compensation being a Yankee shilling equivalent to sixteen and two-thirds cents as a day's wage. This barely enabled him to meet the necessities of life but the boy was possessed of a firm determination to master the trade in all its details and make his life one of usefulness. He eagerly improved his opportunities, receiving his instruction from a master workman. At that time the Fairbanks Company was just beginning the manu- facture of scales, which required large amounts of screws which were imported from England, received at Boston and transferred to St. Johnsbury, about four weeks being required to make the round trip from Boston to St. Johnsbury. This was tedious and expensive and the firm determined upon manufacturing its own screws.
Mr. Bidwell was set to work in that department where he had to cut the wire, heat one end in a common blacksmith fire, upset the head, trim off the burrs and cut the slot and the thread, all by hand- work that is entirely done by machinery today. His apprenticeship covered seven years, after which he engaged himself to the firm for another year as a journeyman, receiving one dollar per day for his services. At the end of that time, in 1852, he went to Providence, Rhode Island, in which busy manufacturing city, guided by men of experience, his active brain and natural adaptability to mechani- cal pursuits enabled him to stand well to the front with the best me- chanics and artisans of that time. The opportunity was his and he eagerly embraced it, his inventive genius and abilities finding full scope in his connection with the screw business, then in its infancy. The development of the screw industry is an interesting chapter in the history of invention and manufacture in America. All the screws that are now made in America, and in the old world also, are made on machinery invented by American mechanics. No one man, how- ever, can lay claim to all the inventions which have taken this in- dustry out of the realm of hand-labor and given it over into the tire- less hand of the steam engine. At the present day all the operations of manufacturing wood and machine screws are performed by auto- matic machines; that is, the coil of wire is placed upon a reel and is automatically manipulated by three distinct machines, until it is delivered by the last machine a perfect screw. The machines are:
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first, heading; second, shaving and cutting the slot; third, forming the thread. With much of this machinery Mr. Bidwell has been identified, either as inventor or in making important improvements, as the records of the patent office at Washington will show. The date of screw manufacturing in this country may be fixed as 1798, when David Wilkinson, of Providence, Rhode Island, and Thomas W. Harvey, of Ramapo, New York, invented their process. Previous to this other mechanics had, from time to time, made attempts to lift the business from hand to an automatic standard, but failed. Not until 1837 did the effort bear fruit, and not until 1849 was success achieved in the manufacture of what is now known as the gimlet- pointed wood-screws. Up to this time all, or nearly all, the screws made had the blunt point, and were only in part made by machinery, some of the operations requiring hand-labor. In 1852 the first auto- matic machine that has proven an entire success was started and has completely revolutionized the manufacture of wood-screws of the world. Screw machinery, like everything else, has had to grow and that, too, from a very small and imperfect beginning.
Soon after going to Providence in 1852 Mr. Bidwell became con- nected with the Eagle Screw Company, manufacturers of wood and machine screws. In 1862 when that concern united with the New England to form the American Screw Company, Mr. Bidwell went to Boston in the employ of the Spencer Rifle Company, having charge of the screw department which was one of the most important posi- tions in the plant. In 1864, when the Boston Screw Company was organized Mr. Bidwell superintended the work for about a year and then returned to the American Screw Company with which he re- mained until 1872. He had witnessed a wonderful development in the business of screw manufacturing through the introduction of improved machinery from time to time, also recognizing that a great advantage would be gained for the profits of the business if a loca- tion could be obtained nearer coal and iron centers. Accordingly in 1871 he made quite an extended trip to various places in the south and west, returning by way of Cleveland. After looking the ground over thoroughly it became evident to his mind that Cleveland was the most desirable point at which to establish the manufacture of a great industry, and in December, 1871, he entered into the project with all the energy and enthusiasm of his nature. A company was organized under the name of the Union Steel Screw Company, com- prised of some of the very strongest men of this city in business and financial circles. It is doubtful if any industrial concern was ever organized in Cleveland with a more able board of directors: Still- man Witt, president; William Chisholm, vice president; J. A. Bid-
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well, architect, engineer and general superintendent; Henry Chis- holm, H. C. Payne, J. H. Wade, Sr., Fayette Brown and Robert Hanna.
Mr. Bidwell took up his residence in Cleveland in 1872, the year the Union Steel Screw Company began business, and through the following thirty-four years, or until 1906, the history of that con- cern is the record of the business activity of Jason A. Bidwell. It was he who planned and carried into execution; he was the "main girder" in the structure, the moving power, who gave to the busi- ness in all its branches guidance, direction, life and energy. The important position he held in a large industrial plant required tact, ability, skill, judgment and decision of the very highest order. That he met fully and completely all demands of this character is best shown by the following:
" On motion of Mr. H. B. Payne: Resolved, That the Board de- sire to place on record their appreciation of the intelligence, skill, diligence and fidelity which have characterized the services of J. A. Bidwell, during the times he has been in its employ; as also their en- tire satisfaction and approval of results of his labors which have thus far justified and fulfilled all the expectations and promises made by him at the commencement of the enterprise." This was entered upon the records of the Union Screw Company, June 6, 1874.
For a number of years prior to his retirement from active busi- ness in 1906 Mr. Bidwell had been recognized as one of the most widely informed men in America in his line of business. Despite his years of intense activity he is a remarkably well preserved man, active in mind and body, a man of attractive address, a superior con- versationalist, genial and social in nature and worthy of the highest esteem. His friends are numbered among the most prominent citi- zens of Cleveland. The acquaintance which he formed in this city was the cause of his portrait being painted and placed in the rooms of the Western Reserve Historical Society in recognition of his worth as a citizen.
At Warren, Rhode Island, in 1858, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bidwell and Miss Harriett N. Simmons, a daughter of Jona- than R. Simmons, a carriage manufacturer of that town. One son Oria N., has been born to them. Following in his father's footsteps he has also engaged in the manufacture of screws. He married Miss Lucella Randall, of Providence, Rhode Island, and they have one daughter, Hope, who is fifteen years of age.
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