USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Cleveland, past and present; its representative men > Part 13
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Although not of robust health, he is enabled to get through a large amount of work by methodical habits and by a strict avoidance of injurious haste and worry. His leisure is spent in the enjoyments of his beautiful home and in the cultivation of a fine artistic taste which has been developed and gratified by a tour among the principal art centres of Europe.
HINMAN B. HURLBUT.
Hinman B. Hurlbut, a lineal descendant of Governor Hinman, of Connecticut, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, July 29. 1818. In his boyhood he received such education as the common schools provided, and the time not spent in the school room was employed on his father's farm, he being the youngest of a large family and required to help along with the others.
At the age of fifteen he left the farm and engaged as clerk in the mercantile business in Washington, St. Lawrence county, where he remained about three years.
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In 1 3;, he removed to Cleveland and commenced the study of law with his brother, II. A. Hurlbut, then practicing law here. On August "th. 1-99, he was admitted to practice, and at once went to Massillon. Stark county, where he opened an office for the practice of his pro- fession. His cash capital when he started for his prospective field of labor, consisted of three dollars and twenty-five cents. The disburse- ment of this sum was as follows : three dollars for his packet fare to Massillon ; twenty-five cents for three sheets of paper and two packets of tobacco. His worldly goods were all contained in a hair trunk ; the most valuable item of which was his law library, comprising two volumes, Blackstone and Kent's Commentaries. Our readers may well be assured that Mr. Hurlbut was dreadfully in earnest about that time to commence business. He soon succeeded in making a commencement; his talent and industry were rewarded by one of the largest and most lucrative practices in that section, extending through Wayne, Holmes, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Columbiana, and Summit coun- ties. As a lawyer he was very successful. He continued the practice of his profession until 1850, four years of which time he was the law partner of Hon. D. K. Cartter.
Some three years before retiring from his law practice, he became interested in banking at Massillon, and in 1850, organized the Mer- chants Bank, of Massillon, with a capital of $100,000. This was in connection with Dr. I. Steese, who is still president of the bank, with the capital increased to $200,000. It was and is a very successful enterprise.
In 1852, still retaining most of his interest in the bank at Massillon. he came to Cleveland, and commenced a private banking business, under the firm name of Hurlbut & Co., under the American House. and continuing about one year, when he purchased from the directors of the Merchants Bank the charter of the Bank of Commerce, and at once commenced business under it, with Mr. Parker Handy as president, and himself as cashier. About a year afterwards Mr. Handy resigned, and Mr. Joseph Perkins became president. The stock was increased from time to time till it reached $250,000, and then reorganized under the name of the Second National Bank of Cleveland, with the same officers, and nearly the same board, with a capital stock of $600,000, and its success may be judged when we say that it has a reserve fund of over $400,000, and it may well be char- acterized as one of the strongest, if not the strongest bank in Ohio.
Mr. Hurlbut was cashier from the commencement, and labored assiduously in its interests, so that the Second National Bank of
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Cleveland is eminently the fruit of his labor and skill. Mr. Hurlbut was obliged to resign his position January 1st, 1866, on account of failing health, induced by excessive mental application, and was succeeded by the assistant cashier, J. C. Buell, who s'ill retains the office. On resigning, he was made vice-president, which position he still retains. He took a trip to Europe, where he remained two years, returning much improved.
Besides his official duties here, in 1864, in connection with Messrs. J. Perkins, A. Stone and S. Witt, he purchased of the Board of Con- trol, the charter of the Toledo Branch of the State Bank of Ohio, which also proved a great success, paying in the neighborhood of twenty-five per cent. per annum. It was reorganized under the National Bank law. Mr. Hurlbut held no official position in this bank, but assisted in its management.
For some years he has been a director of the Bellefontaine Rail- road Company, and on the consolidation of that company with the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad Company, was made a director of the consolidated line. He has added to his interests in banks and railroads some important investments in the iron interests of the city, and through his shrewd observation and extensive busi- ness knowledge, has managed to make his investments profitable. For fifteen years he was a member of the State Board of Control of the State Bank of Ohio. From the organization of the Protestant General Hospital of Cleveland he has been its president.
Mr. Hurlbut's sole official connection with politics, was his serving as a delegate from the Seventeenth Ohio District, in the Philadelphia Convention that nominated General Taylor. He is in no degree a politician, but always takes an active interest as a private citizen and voter, in the discussion of political questions. His tastes are elegant and refined, and since his virtual retirement from the pressing duties of business, he has found enjoyment in the cultivation of those tastes. His manners are affable and genial, his disposition frank and gener- ous. In business matters he has always been prompt, and has never allowed his engagements to lie unfulfilled or be postponed.
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ELBERT IRVING BALDWIN.
The dry goods establishment of E. I. Baldwin & Co. is one of the best known business houses of Cleveland. Its reputation extends widely beyond the limits of the city, and throughout a large portion of the State it is known as one of the places to be visited whenever a shopping excursion is made to Cleveland.
Elbert Irving Baldwin, the founder and head of the firm, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, May 13, 1829. He received excellent early educational advantages, in preparation for a literary life, but as his health was not equal to this, he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, when about eighteen years of age, by engaging as clerk in the dry goods house of Sandford & Allen, in his native town. With the firm he remained several years, and then engaged for about two years with a dry goods firm in New York city.
In October, 1853, Mr. Baldwin came to Cleveland, and on the com. pletion of Northrup & Spangler's Block, commenced the retail branch of the dry goods business, his father, S. I. Baldwin, being a partner in the business for the first three years. Mr. Baldwin opened out with a stock of goods costing sixteen thousand dollars, and at the close of the first year had made sales to the amount of forty-three thousand dollars. This was an encouraging result for those times. and he correctly judged that it was but the foundation of a large and lucrative business. Each succeeding year, without any exception, has brought an increase of business, till the annual sales of the firm are in the vicinity of a million dollars, which, in a retail business, in a city of Cleveland's size, is very large ; and fairly entitles him to be regarded as the most successful dry goods merchant Cleveland has ever had. Having from the first conducted business in a strictly honorable manner, selling only good articles at reasonable profits, and allowing no misrepresentations, the result is, that many of the customers of the house are of fifteen years' continuance. This, in conjunction with the natural growth of the trade growing out of an increase in the population, now gives his house the appearance of a central dry goods market.
Besides endeavoring to deal faithfully with customers, he inaugur-
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ated the one price and cash system of trade, so as to be faithful to himself and his creditors, and the result of all is-immense success.
To meet the demands of trade, in 1868, his firm purchased a piece of land whereon stood part of the well known City Buildings, on Superior street, and erected the elegant store now occupied by them. at an expense of over one hundred thousand dollars. It has been selected by us as a symbolic title page, representing Cleveland present, and is at once an ornament to the city, and a monument to untiring industry and integrity. The building has a frontage of forty- two and a half feet, a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, and a height of eighty feet, overtopping all the blocks in the city. The front is of Amherst sandstone. The building is divided into five stories, with a basement; the ground floor, occupied by the store, having five hundred feet of counter-room. Without, the architectural taste displayed was unexceptionably good, the building having an appearance of lightness and elegance, whilst at the same time con- veying an idea of strength and solidity. The store is fitted up in the most sumptuous manner, and is of itself an attraction to visitors, to say nothing of the rich wares always there displayed.
On the retirement of his father, Mr. Baldwin associated with himself his brother-in-law, H. R. Hatch, and in 1863, Mr. W. S. Tyler, an employee, was admitted to an interest in the business, and in 1866, Mr. G. C. F. Hayne, another employee, became a partner. This is an excellent custom, and we are glad to see so many of our heavy merchants acknowledging the integrity and ability of their clerks in the same way.
Mr. Baldwin has now the general superintendence of the whole business; and, although he is not, nor ever has been, physically strong, is very active, and there is little that escapes his observation.
He was married, August, 1855, to Miss Mary Janette Sterling, of Lima, Livingston county, New York. The fruits of the marriage were three children now living, and one daughter who died.
Mr. Baldwin has been connected with the Second Presbyterian church about thirteen years, and has taken an active interest in the Sunday school. He was trustee of the church for several years, and has always been found ready to aid in the furtherance of every good work.
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GROVE N. ABBEY.
. The trade in stoneware is a very important branch of the business of Cleveland, and this lies in the hands of one firm, of which Grove N. Abbey is the leading member. As the West generally is supplied from the parent house of the Abbeys, or from one or other of the branch establishments through the West, in which Mr. Abbey holds an interest, it would be manifestly out of place to omit, in a work of this character, a reference to him and his operations.
Mr. Abbey was born in Portland, Connecticut, August 19th, 1818. He was the eleventh of a family of thirteen, of whom seven yet live. The father, Asaph, died at the age of fifty-five. The mother, Ruth Hollister, survived her husband thirty years, the last twenty-two of which were spent in the family of her son Grove N., and died Febru- ary 20th, 1868, at the advanced age of eighty-six. As before said, she had thirteen children, twelve of whom married, and thus enabled her to remark, as she repeatedly did, that she had had twenty-four children. Before her death she had seventy-one grandchildren added to the list of her descendants, besides fifty-seven great-grandchildren, and one of the fourth generation, making in all one hundred and forty-two descendants.
At the age of sixteen, G. N. Abbey bade adieu to his New England home and set out for the West. A good portion of his first year after leaving home was spent in Pittsburgh, which he then left for Ohio, where he has since resided; twenty-one years in Akron, and the remainder of the time in Cleveland. His first experience in Akron was as a clerk, from which he rose to the position of merchant on his own account, carrying on business until 1856. In the Spring of the preceding year he commenced business on River street, Cleveland, in the sale of Akron stoneware, in which he had become interested, and in 1856, removed his family to Cleveland, where he has since that time resided, retaining his mercantile interests in Akron until 185S.
When Mr. Abbey was carrying on a mercantile business in Akron, his attention was called to the growing importance of the manufac- ture and trade in stoneware, made from the clay of the Springfield clay-bed, which has since become famous for the superior quality of stoneware made from it. The pioneer in the business was David
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Abbey, a brother of Grove, who died in Chicago, in 1856. The exten- sion of railways to Akron rapidly developed the trade in stoneware, and the Abbey family turned their exclusive attention to it. The trade grew to importance wherever the articles found their way. To obtain greater facilities for sale and distribution, Mr. Grove N. Abbey came to Cleveland and obtained storage privileges in a warehouse on River street, at the foot of St. Clair hill. Soon the increase of business justified the engagement of the whole building, and from that time the growth of the trade has been rapid and permanent. Branch houses were established in Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, and the parent houses in Akron and Cleveland have been kept busy in supplying the needs of these branches as well as of their own. The character of the article dealt in became known throughout the West, and wherever introduced the trade soon increased in import- ance. The result has been a gratifying success to the Abbeys, and the addition of a large revenne to the county of Summit.
In all their various ramifications of business, Mr. Abbey has occu- pied an important position. In addition to providing for the home trade, he has exercised constant personal supervision over the sup- plying of the western branches. The negotiations between dealers and manufacturers have mostly been managed by him, and the im- portance of these negotiations may be judged from the fact that the requirements of the customers of Abbey & Co. regulate the amount of stoneware manufactured in Summit county, and thus affect the business and revenues of the county.
The business of the Cleveland house of G. N. Abbey & Co. has gradually been increased by the introduction of other articles of a kindred nature, such as the brown and yellow ware, manufactured at East Liverpool, Ohio, glassware from Pittsburgh and New York, and fire-brick and fire-clay. The position of Cleveland renders it the natural distributing point for those wares, and the extensive facilities possessed by Mr. Abbey, and his long experience in the business, place the monopoly of the trade in his hands. That nothing but good has grown out of this virtual monopoly, is seen in the fact that the business is steadily increasing, that no dissatisfaction is expressed by the customers, and that no litigations have taken place during the long business career of the house, extending over thirteen years in Cleveland.
During the last six years the firm has had some interest in vessels on the lakes, and these interests have been carefully watched by Mr. Abbey, who has entire control.
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It will be rightly inferred from what has already been said. that Mr. Abbey has achieved success in business. That success is due to no meby accident or extraneous circumstances, but is the natural result of devoted attachment to business, keen insight, and a deter- uunation to follow, as far as practicable, the golden rule of doing as you would be done by, and of a desire to avoid all misunderstandings.
If there be one business faculty more than another, prominent in Mr. Abbey, it is that of ability to do a large business, on a small capital; having, like nearly all of our merchants, commenced business with nothing that his own hands had not earned, and passing through all the trials incident to mercantile life in a young country, he has become an excellent financier. Naturally of a genial tem- perament, and inclined to look on the bright side of things, he glides over reverses and difficulties easier than some people, yet he has always keenly felt, and often deplored, the want of such early advan- tages as children of the present day possess.
Being early interested in the cause of temperance, he has persis- tently endeavored to spread its beneficial effects by means of tem- perance organizations, and in April, 1869, he was nominated as temperance candidate for Mayor on the first strictly temperance municipal ticket ever put in nomination in Cleveland. The result was the polling of a temperance vote of about ten per cent. of the whole vote cast.
Twenty-seven years since, whilst in business at Akron, he was induced to make a profession of faith and be received into the Congregational church. The faith then professed has never been renounced, and he is now an active member of Plymouth Congrega- tional church in Cleveland.
On November 4th, 1844, Mr. Abbey married Miss Sarah Goodale, of Kent, Ohio, but who came originally from Massachusetts. Of this marriage there were four children, three of whom are still living; the oldest being married to Charles H. White, of Chicago, Illinois. The other daughter and a son remain with the family at home.
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B. W. JENNESS.
Mr. Jenness was born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, July 14, 1806, received a good academical education and in 1823 removed from Deerfield to Strafford, in the same State, where he engaged in merchandizing, continuing in that occupation for thirty years, and finding it reasonably remunerative. In addition to keeping his store he filled the position of postmaster of the town for fifteen years, being appointed under several successive administrations. He represented the town in the lower branch of the State Legislature, and held the office of High Sheriff for over five years, the county which he officiated in having since been carved out into several counties. On leaving that office he became Probate Judge, which position he retained five years and then resigned, although the terms of office were such that he could have retained his position until he was seventy years of age. He was nominated by the Breckenridge party for Governor of the State, but declined. In 1845-6, he was appointed to the Senate of the United States, to fill out the unexpired term of the Hon. Levi Woodbury, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1850, he was a member of the Consti- tutional Convention to revise the constitution of New Hampshire, after which he retired to private life, and has allowed politics to take their own course without his aid.
Mr. Jenness came to Cleveland seven years ago, but immediately after his arrival started into the lumber business here with vigor, and has followed it up in the same way, until now he has become so intimately connected with Cleveland commerce that he seems like an old settler who has grown up with the city. He superintended the whole business here from the first, whilst his partners attended to the manufacturing department at their mills in Michigan, until May 1st, 1869, when Mr. Jenness bought out their entire interests. He has succeeded in building up a business equal to the best in that line in the short space of seven years, which speaks well for the energy and business ability displayed.
In addition to his lumber business Mr. Jenness, in connection with three others, built the propeller B. W. Jenness, for carrying lumber and trading from Buffalo to Chicago and intermediate ports. She
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raff;re about 330,000 feet of lumber, and cost $50,000. He has also been part owner of several other vessels since he has resided here.
Mr. Jenness is a man of the most active temperament, he no wwtter decides that a thing has to be done than he does it with all hue might. One may form an idea of him by seeing him write his hatte ; as quick as the pen touches the paper it is off like a flash of lightning, with the signature complete. He is broad and powerfully halt, and to all appearance can endure as much as most men. although sixty-three years of age. Like other successful men, he attributes his success to strict attention to business in person. In politics he has always been a Democrat. In religion he is very Iberal, favoring Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and I'nitarians when occasion serves. He is held in esteem by all who know him, and we trust he may have many years of usefulness before him. 1
Mr. Jenness was married in 1827 to Miss Nancy Shackford, of Strafford, New Hampshire, whom it was his misfortune to lose in May, 1-6:5, leaving two daughters the sole survivors of a family of five, the three sons being dead.
JOHN FLETCHER WARNER.
The late J. F. Warner was a native of Burlington, Vermont, on the border of Lake Champlain. His parents were poor, and his early advantages were limited. At an early age he became a sort of cabin boy on one of the Lake Champlain steamers. Mr. Warner came to Cleveland in 1833 or 1834, and went into the employ of Wellman. Winch & Co., who then kept a warehouse near the present site of the Erie elevator. Mr. Warner often related to his friends with much glee, a little incident that occurred in connection with his engage- ment to labor for this firm. It appears that it was represented to him that he was desired to travel for the house ; and he, with visions of a span of white horses, elegant outfit, and an easy time, readily accepted the proposition to travel for them. But his bright expecta- tions were soon clouded; his horse was shown him and his course of travel was the circle around a horse power used for elevating grain
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from vessels, prior to the erection of any steam grain elevators in the city. He saw he had been the victim of a practical joke, and com- menced his travel with as good a grace as possible, under the circum- stances.
Mr. Warner remained with this firm for about two years, and then became warehouseman for Ransom, Baldwin & Co., which was com- posed of Jolin G. Ransom, now residing in Hamilton, Canada, Stephen A. Baldwin, deceased, Charles M. Giddings, deceased, and William H. Bruce, then residing at Green Bay, and, we believe, now deceased. In 1838 or 1839, this firin was dissolved, and merged into Ransom, MeNair & Co. Mathew McNair, Jr., the junior partner of this firm, whom the older residents will recollect, is now residing in California. Mr. Warner continued with this firm until they retired from business, and then he formed a business connection with Augustus Handy and Ralph H. Harmon. We do not know whether it was prior or subse- quent to this partnership that he lived for a year or two at Tonawanda, but are under the impression that it was prior; but at the time of the Tonawanda speculation, gotten up by Clevelanders, he was induced to go there.
After about two or three years, the firm with which Mr. Warner was connected, moved to Chicago, but being all Clevelanders, and Chicago not being congenial to them, the firm soon dissolved, and the members of it moved back to Cleveland, since which time Mr. Warner was employed in no active business. At intervals he had made investment- that proved profitable, and not being in very robust health, had but little ambition, and lived in comparative retirement. He was one of those who loved to talk over old times, and never forget old faces. He was as charitable as his means would permit toward- worthy objects, and preserved through all his busi- news relation . a character for strict integrity. He was a man of strong friend-lupa, frank in his avowals, and left a circle of business and wcial trieml, who will remember him as an upright, warm-hearted. and psiche porited man, who lived in good report, and died sincerely
For many years Mr. Warner had been more or less an invalid, though not often confined to his house, with Bright's disease of the Liness, In November, 1868, it assumed a more serious phase, and en iky ember 19th, 1868, terminated his life. About eight months gresmadly, he suffered the loss of his beloved wife, while spending Uwe odder months in Florida, which had a very depressing effect agen tom, and took from him a very necessary incentive to life.
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A. V. CANNON.
On the 10th of July, 1867, died, after a very short illness, A. V. Cannon, one of the most promising of the young business men of Cleveland, beloved by his intimate associates, and esteemed by the whole business community brought in contact with him, and thus able to learn his worth.
Mr. Cannon was a native of the Western Reserve, having been born in Streetsboro'. Portage county, in 1834. On leaving school he entered the store of Babcock & Hurd, in Aurora, in that county, and when those gentleman removed to Cleveland he accompanied them and remained in their establishment some time, making a twelve years' stay with them altogether.
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