USA > Pennsylvania > Prominent and progressive Pennsylvanians of the nineteenth century. Volume III > Part 26
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CHARLES A. PORTER.
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HILADELPHIA is said to be the best paved city in the world, and perhaps there is nothing that impresses a visitor to a municipality more than the condition of its streets. In improved pavements Philadelphia certainly leads all other points in the United States, and these pavements are of a kind that attract attention at once, not only on account of the smooth surface which they present, the quick method by which they may be cleaned, but because of their solid durability, which has long asserted itself. While, of course, the municipal gov- ernment itself is always credited with the praise that this paving evokes, yet, in a way, many single individuals and firms have been concerned in the perfection that has been reached. Probably no man in the city of Philadelphia has more directly contributed to the superior condition of our streets than Charles A. Porter, who, through the various enterprises with which he is connected, has in no small degree been a factor in making the Philadelphia highways what they are to-day. He has not only done this as a general contractor, but as the directing spirit in a large and ably directed corporation which has made street paving and the materials utilized therein a study and a specialty. But not only this, Mr. Porter has also figured prominently in the legislative bodies, and his voice, vote and efforts have always been enlisted in behalf of any measure that tended to give additional convenience to citizens and at the same time beautify the city.
CHARLES A. PORTER is a native of Philadelphia, and was born, May 15, 1839, in that portion of the city which was known a half-century ago as North Mulberry Ward. His parents were people in moderate circumstances, and as a boy he received his early education in the Zane Street public grammar school. On attaining manhood he took up the
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business that had been, in a measure, followed by his father-that of contracting-a business which he has successfully followed for over thirty years, being at present a member of the firm of Filbert & Porter and a Director of the Vulcanite Paving Company, two concerns which have been most important factors in the highway and other improve- ments of the municipality.
Mr. Porter early evinced a taste for politics and he has always been identified with the Republican party, his first vote having been cast in the memorable campaign of 1860, for Abraham Lincoln. When but twenty-three years of age he received his first political appoint- ment, that of a Supervisor of the streets of Philadelphia, and he served in that position for four years, being under both Mayors Henry and McMichael. In 1869 he was chosen a member of the Republican City Campaign Committee from the Eighth Ward, and he served almost continuously for a quarter of a century, winning the confidence and respect of his party. In 1872 he represented the Eighth and Ninth Wards in the lower house of the State Legislature. On May 15, 1875. Mr. Porter became a resident of the rapidly growing and influential Twenty-eighth Ward, where he soon became recognized as the desired leader of the Republican forces in that section. In 1888 he was a Dele- gate to the Republican National Convention which nominated General Harrison for the Presidency. The following year he was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Republican City Campaign Committee, to which position he was subsequently re-elected for many terms, ably serv- ing in that onerous capacity until the year 1895. He has always been recognized as an able political manager, his admirable conduct of polit- ical affairs, his tact and his executive ability being invariably utilized in the maintenance of party harmony. In the year 1890 he was elected State Senator to fill out the unexpired term of John E. Reyburn, and two years afterwards was elected, by a large majority, for a full term. Senator Porter's record in the upper branch of the Legislature was one of which he has every reason to feel proud, and he introduced many measures of importance affecting the interests of his native city. While in the Senate he served on the most important committees. When his full term expired he declined a re-nomination, preferring to devote his time to his private interests, which have become very extensive.
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Senator Porter has been a notable figure in all movements of the Republican party in Philadelphia and he has assisted many men to positions of honor and profit. The rank and file of the organization always gave him thorough and hearty support, as he has earnestly insisted upon giving the younger element of the party an opportunity of showing what it could do.
Senator Porter is also identified with numerous financial institu- tions. He is a member of the Union League and of several other leading clubs, and has a large circle of personal friends, who hold his high qualities of mind and heart in great esteem. He has taken a special interest in the development of the public school system of Philadelphia, and has always been found ready and active to further any measure framed to add to the efficacy of our public schools.
AE Francis & Co.
EDWARD E. POTTER.
V IEWED from the standpoint of peace, the development of the United States Navy during the past year or so has been indeed amazing. Threatening international complications and the necessities of political adjust- ment rendered it advisable in the eyes of the Govern- ment that the protective force by sea should be put in the best possible condition. In this largely important work experienced naval authorities naturally took an active part, and none were more inter- ested than the subject of this biography, Edward E. Potter, who has a naval record which places him in the front rank of the patriotic defenders of his country. Commodore Potter is one of those leaders who owe their development largely to the actual experience in war- fare, gained during the internecine strife of the early sixties.
EDWARD EELLS POTTER was born in Medina, Orleans County, New York, May 9, 1833. His ancestors were prominent among the old settlers of New England; one of them, John Potter, was among the signers of the Covenant at East Haven in 1638, when the early settlers, prior to the religious enthusiasm of that period, provided for the welfare of their co-laborers. From that time down to the present day the Potter family has been active in all matters pertaining to the general advancement of the country, and it has been productive of men who, both by reason of their superior physical endowments and great mental worth, occupied the position of leaders in many fields. The father of the subject of this biography was E. H. Potter, who was married to Adeline Eells, Edward Eells Potter being born of this union. In the year 1837 the family removed to Illinois, and there the son was reared. In the various schools of his locality he obtained a thorough education, and almost as soon as he had passed through the
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progressive stages of mental development he entered the navy, with a determination of succeeding in the service of his country. It was in February, 1850, that Commodore Potter took his first step toward attaining his present high rank. He was attached to the sloop " Decatur," of the Home Squadron, in 1852 ; was transferred to the frigate "Constitution " on the coast of Africa from 1853 to 1855; was at the Naval Academy in 1856, and from there promoted to Passed Midshipman on June 20, 1856. He sailed on the frigate " St. Lawrence," stationed on the coast of Brazil, in 1857 to 1859. He was commissioned as Lieutenant, July 9, 1858, and was appointed to the steam frigate " Niagara," May 9, 1860, which conveyed the first Japanese Embassy to their home on the cessation of their visit here.
When the young Lieutenant returned from Japan, in April, 1861, he found that the War of the Rebellion, which threatened to sunder the sisterhood of States, had fairly commenced and, filled with patri- otic ardor, he anxiously sought for a post in which he could be of the greatest service to the Government in suppressing the civil strife. Accordingly, he was detached from the "Niagara " and ordered to the "Wissahickon," and it was then that the most arduous and active part of his career commenced. During the war, the "Wissahickon " was very actively engaged on the Mississippi River, and in fact participated in some of the most remarkable naval engagements of the Rebellion. The rebels offered a desperate resistance to the attacks of the United States naval forces, and the vessels finding it necessary, in pursuance of orders, to pass Forts Jackson and St. Philip, were engaged in some of the most energetic assaults recorded in the annals of the Civil War. Until the suppression of the Rebellion Commodore Potter was active in the defense of the Union and was under fire a large part of the time.
During the years 1867 and 1868 he was on the frigate "Franklin," which was a flagship of Admiral Farragut. During the cruise of the "Shawmut" he ascended the River Orinoco to Ciudad Bolivar, and recovered from revolutionists two steamers belonging to an American company, the "Shawmut" being the second United States man-of-war to visit Ciudad Bolivar. He was promoted to a Captaincy on the 11th of July, 1880, and commanded the United States ship " Constellation,"
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which took needed supplies to the people of Ireland, who that year were suffering from many severe privations. On the return of the " Constellation " from her relief expedition to Ireland, he was appointed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he served for three years. In November, 1883, he was appointed to the command of the United States ship "Lancaster," being on the European Station until May, 1885, when the ship was attached to the South Atlantic Station, continuing in that command from December, 1885, until relieved and ordered home in 1886. In December, 1886, he was ordered to the command of the League Island Navy Yard, and on May 31, 1887, was detached and appointed Governor of the United States Naval Home. On April 1, 1891, he was ordered to the command of the United States Receiving Ship "Minnesota." In January, 1893, he was ordered to the Navy Yard at Norfolk, and from there, in the fall of 1893, was appointed Governor of the Naval Home, at Philadelphia, with the rank of Commodore, being retired from service in May, 1895.
This outlines the service of Commodore Potter, extending for a period of forty-five years, and it is one of the most remarkable in the history of the American Navy. During Commodore Potter's manage- ment of the Naval Home at Philadelphia he instituted a number of excellent improvements in the institution, and, upon his retirement in 1895, was generally credited with having accomplished a noble work.
In October, 1861, Commodore Potter was married to Harriet L. Blackmer, née Raymond, and after her death he was married to Harriet L. Grant, in March, 1875. He has three children, Franklin, Mary A. and Gurdon.
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WILLIAM H. REDHEFFER.
S the world is pleased to honor a successful man, so does Philadelphia especially delight to honor a mem- ber of her Bar, who, by his knowledge of the law and his forensic ability, has become distinguished. It is a superior man who rises above the mediocre in the practice of the law in Philadelphia; it is the brilliant, intelligent and sound lawyer who distinguishes himself. Such a man is William H. Redheffer, the subject of this sketch. His parents were residents of Philadelphia ; he was educated in the public schools of Philadelphia ; he prepared for the practice of the law in Philadelphia, and he has made his mark and earned his reputation in his native city.
WILLIAM H. REDHEFFER was born in Philadelphia, September 12, 1844. His parents were William Redheffer and Mary (Curtis) Redheffer, both born in Philadelphia, the former for years being engaged in this city as a manufacturer of combs. Mr. Redheffer received the rudiments of his education at the public schools, passing through the primary, grammar and high school courses, leaving the latter shortly after the Civil War began. He was always intensely patriotic and, as soon as he could be accepted as a soldier, he enlisted and went to the front. He served his country well and with a bravery that distinguished him, though at the close of the War he had not yet reached the age of twenty-one years. A vigorous, uncompromising supporter of the Union's cause in the great civil conflict, when old enough to vote, he threw his support with all his enthusiasm in favor of the party with which, from the year 1865, in which he attained his majority, until the present, he has been staunchly and steadfastly identified. As a Republican he has always supported the nominees of his party with his full strength. Party conflicts and factional fights
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were, and are, regarded by him as oppositions which ought to be vigor- ously suppressed, and his voice and influence are invariably at the command of the Republican organization. In the sharp conflict of 1898 for the office of Receiver of Taxes of Philadelphia, in which there was considerable dissension in the Republican ranks, Mr. Redheffer rendered great service to the regular nominee. The War Veterans' Club was solidly arrayed in favor of Mr. Roney, and Mr. Redheffer, as Chairman of the Executive Committee of that club, did yeoman service. From the close of the Rebellion Mr. Redheffer has taken an active interest in nearly all the organizations and societies composed of those who actively served their country at the front.
Immediately after he returned from the War, Mr. Redheffer engaged with his brother, Charles, in the manufacturing of combs, but a year later entered the real estate office of John Q. Williams. He, however, was anxious to make the law his profession, and registered as a law student at the office of his brother, John C. Redheffer, under whose preceptorship he prepared for examination. He was admitted to the Bar in 1869 and at once began the practice of his profession. Success came quickly and he has since built up a large and well- paying practice. He ranks with the leading members of the Philadel- phia Bar, his practice being a general one and embracing important civil and criminal cases in all the local, State and United States Courts. Mr. Redheffer's admitted ability as a civil lawyer is attested by the fact that he is counsel for several of the largest and most important corporations in the country. His advice is sought by members of the Bar in intricate cases, and his keen perception, clear-sightedness and ingenuity are recognized as being exceedingly valuable in these con- sultations. Though such an enthusiastic and uncompromising Repub- lican, he has never permitted his name to be used in connection with any office. He was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Repub- lican League, a body of young men whose bright minds exerted a pow- erful influence in municipal affairs for years, especially about the time of Mr. Stokley's administration as Mayor of the city. Mr. Redheffer was Secretary of the organization. He took great interest in the poli- tics of his own ward (the Twenty-eighth) and was induced to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of that ward for eight years.
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While deeply interested in political affairs, Mr. Redheffer takes even greater interest in all that appertains to the welfare of those who, after taking part in the battles of the Rebellion, survived, and his services are always at the command of veterans who are in actual need and are worthy of assistance. A believer in organized work, Mr. Red- heffer takes a very active part in the War Veterans' Club, one of the objects of which is declared to be to foster the interests of comrades, and, as Chairman of the Executive Committee of that organization, he is in a position to do much for the old soldier.
Mr. Redheffer and Adrienne T. Nichols, daughter of William R. and Hannah Nichols, of Philadelphia, were married December 17, 1869. They have three children, one of whom, William H., Jr., is a student at the Law Department of Temple College.
John J Rogway
JOHN J. RIDGWAY.
T HE modern spirit of progress is fully represented in John J. Ridgway, President of the Real Estate Invest- ment Company of Philadelphia. As a lawyer, Mr. Ridgway has won a permanent success, and, in the development of real estate, so marked within the past ten or fifteen years, he has been one of the largest and most energetic factors.
JOHN JACOB RIDGWAY was born in Philadelphia, October 23, 1843, his parents being the late Thomas Ridgway, President of the Girard Life Insurance, Annuity and Trust Company, and Sarah Pancoast, his wife, sister of the Philadelphia surgeon, Dr. Joseph Pancoast, of the Jef- ferson Medical College. His paternal ancestor was Richard Ridgway, who came to this country from Berkshire, England, to Pennsylvania, in 1679. This was three years before William Penn arrived in Penn- sylvania, and the first map made in Philadelphia contained the name of Richard Ridgway as a settler. Richard Ridgway was married in England, where his wife died, leaving one son, Thomas Ridgway, and father and son came over together on the ship "Welcome." Richard Ridgway married Abigail Stockton, of Springfield, New Jersey, and was commissioned a Judge in Burlington, New Jersey, where he died in 1723. Thomas Ridgway was only one year old when he came with his father to Philadelphia. He grew up a farmer and married a Miss Pharo, an English girl, who came over an infant on the same ship with the child who was afterward to be her husband. After their mar- riage, Thomas Ridgway settled in Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Both he and his wife were Quakers. They had seven children, one son, John, born at Egg Harbor, who married Phoebe Bellanger, and had several sons, among whom was another John Ridgway, who married Elizabeth
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Wright and had a son, Thomas, who settled in Philadelphia in 1813. Thomas Ridgway retired from business in 1850 and died in 1887 at the age of ninety. He had been married sixty-four years, and left a widow, who survived him one year. They left eight children, six daughters and two sons. One of the sons, John J., the subject of this sketch, after receiving an elementary and classical education, and having attended the University of Pennsylvania, decided to become a lawyer. He began the study of law in the office of Morton P. Henry, where he made rapid progress, and on May 29, 1865, was admitted to practice at the Bar.
Immediately after passing he went to Europe, where he traveled for some time, and then returned to Philadelphia and began prac- tice under the best auspices and with immediate success. He soon became well known and popular among the people of Philadelphia, especially on account of the reputation which he had achieved in pros- ecuting cases against public officials for collecting and retaining illegal fees. He was selected by the Bar Association to conduct these trials, and, on account of his excellent work in this connection, and as a result of it, the new Constitution, which was soon afterward adopted, abolished the fee system altogether and placed the officials on salaries.
In 1862 Mr. Ridgway entered the Union Army, and after the bat- tle of Gettysburg he took part in the pursuit of Lee's forces. He made some reputation as a writer, at the same time displaying his interest in public affairs by publishing in Lippincott's Magazine for May, 1873, an article on the subject of the proposed establishment of a Zoological Garden, this being, in fact, the initiatory step in the move- ment which resulted in the establishment of the institution which bears that name, and of which Mr. Ridgway was a Director until 1875, when his increased practice caused him to resign. In 1883 Mr. Ridgway was nominated for the Common Council by the Republicans of the Eighth Ward of Philadelphia, and gained his election, in this office displaying that combination of business sagacity, integrity and unflagging devo- tion to the interest of those who confided in him, which had always characterized him. In 1884 he was nominated for City Controller, but was defeated, owing to factional troubles within the party. In 1886 he was appointed to take charge of the real estate department of
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the Sheriff's office, and the latter being incapacitated for the perform- ance of his duties before the end of his term, Mr. Ridgway was in charge for something over a year, when he was appointed Sheriff and filled out the remainder of the term, which expired January, 1888. In December, 1889, President Harrison appointed Mr. Ridgway Surveyor of Customs for the Port of Philadelphia. This office he held for four years, giving a most successful administration. Mr. Ridgway is Vice- President of the West End Trust and Safe Deposit Company and President of the Real Estate Investment Company. He is a prom- inent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Penn Club, the Union League, Art Club, Rittenhouse Club, the Union Republican Club, the Pennsylvania Historical Society, etc. He married, in 1867, Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Reese Fry, and has, by her, three chil- dren, Mabel, Thomas and Violet. Mr. Ridgway still continues to take an active interest in the affairs of Philadelphia, and remains prominent in the practice of special law.
CHARLES ROBINSON.
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HARLES ROBINSON has been identified with the business interests of Scranton since 1876, and is known as one of the successful and prominent men of the city, having also an excellent record as a public official, one, in fact, which places him on his community's political roll of honor. With his father and brothers he established a brewery business, which, after the death of the former, was carried on under the name of E. Robinson until 1893, and since that time has been conducted under the title of E. Robinson's Sons. The firm occupies a four-story building at Nos. 433-455 North Seventh Street, 300 x 150 feet in dimensions, with two vaults beneath, cold storage rooms and ice machinery. The plant is operated by electricity and has a capacity of one hundred and twenty-five thousand barrels per annum, being the largest in that section of the State. The offices are located adjacent to the brewery. But while Mr. Robinson, essen- tially a business man, gives most of his time to these interests, yet he is connected not only with business enterprises, but is also well known in political circles. As a leader of the Democracy of his local- ity, he has in the past exerted an influence second to none in the party.
It was largely due to Mr. Robinson's influence that the Democratic State Convention met in Scranton, at the time Governor Pattison was nominated for the second term. At this convention he was ten- dered the nomination for Lieutenant-Governor, but, owing to his large personal interests, he was compelled to decline the honor. As Chair- man of the County, and member of the State Central and Executive committees, his labors have been most effective in promoting the wel- fare of the Democracy. In 1888 he was chosen State Presidential
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Elector, and the same year was elected Sheriff of the county, taking the oath of office January 1, 1889, and serving for three years. His popularity is indicated by the fact that he received a majority of two thousand at his election. To accept this office he resigned as a member of the Select Council from the Fourteenth Ward, in which capacity he had served for two terms, meantime acting as Chairman of the Street and Bridge Committee, and Finance and School committees. During his terms in the Council, electric lights were introduced and the first move was made toward the erection of the Linden Street Bridge.
Born in Scranton, April 12, 1855, the subject of this review is a son of Jacob and a brother of August Robinson. He was educated in New York and at Furst's Military College, at College Point, from which he graduated. For four years he was connected with a wholesale grocery business in New York, after which he returned to Scranton and inaugurated the business in which he has since engaged. After his return to Scranton he married Amelia Spiess, of New York City, and they are the parents of three sons and three daughters.
Fraternally Mr. Robinson is associated with Schiller Lodge, No. 345, Free and Accepted Masons, the Consistory and Lu-Lu Temple, Philadelphia, and is also identified with the Elks and other organiza- tions in his city. In 1892 he had the honor of being National Dele- gate at Large to the Convention in Chicago, when Grover Cleveland was renominated President. He was in close touch with the admin- istration and with the Chairman of the National Committee, William F. Harrity, which gave him control of the patronage of Lackawanna County. The demands made upon his time by his large personal interests were chiefly the reason for his retirement from politics in 1895.
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