Wadsworth, Dyer & Chapin, whose yard extended
along Randolph Street, from the river to Clinton Street;
and in 1847 he bought John M. Underwood's business,
which was located at the corner of Fake and Canal
streets. Mr. Find continued in the business eighteen
years. Among the incidents connected with the lumber
trade, Mr. Find mentions the following: In 1842, Ar-
temus Carter brought to Chicago a cargo of twenty-foot
white wood joists, which for some time he found no pur-
chaser. At length he himself bought the joists, paying
§5 a thousand, and utilized a part of them in enlarging
the First Presbyterian church-building in that year, Rev.
Flavel Bascom being at the time pastor of the Church.
At the time of Mr. Find's arrival in Chicago, Horace
Norton & Co. were conducting the heaviest lumber
business here, their location being contiguous to Fort
Dearborn.
The firm of George W. Snow & Co. was composed
of George W. Snow and John M. Underwood, and was
established in 1838. The partners continued the busi-
ness of lumber merchants until 1842, procuring their
lumber from Green Bay, where it was then thought the
best pine, for lumber, grew ; when Mr. F T nderwood
retired, leaving Mr. Snow alone in the business. His
lumber yard was on South Water Street, east of Clark,
where it remained until 1847, when it was removed to
Market Street. Mr. Snow disposed of his interest in
1850, and afterward acquired a fortune in the real-estate
business. He died in 1874.
Alexander N. Fullerton embarked in the lumber
trade in Chicago in 1838, having his yard on North
Water Street, but continued it only a few years.
Mr. Fullerton was born in Chester, Vermont, in September,
1804, the son of Nathaniel Fullerton, who was president of the
Bank of Bellows Falls about forty years. Alexander graduated
at Middlebury College, also at the celebrated Litchfield Law
School, and subsequently practiced law at Troy, N. Y., as partner
of Judge Buell. Upon coming to Chicago, he entered into a law-
partnership with lion. Grant Goodrich, and also became connected
with the lumber business, in connection with an interest which he
owned in a lumber mill in Michigan. He also had large real-
estate possessions in Chicago and in Milwaukee, besides owning a
quantity of farming land in the Northwest. Fullerton Avenue passes
through a large tract of land formerly owned by him; and Fullerton
Block, at the northwest corner of Dearborn and Washington
streets, was erected by him in 1S72 He was married to Julia Ann
Hubbell, a daughter of Judge Silas Hubbell, a prominent lawyer of
Clinton County, N. Y., and had three children, only one of whom,
C. W. Fullerton, is now living.
James P. Allen established himself in the lumber
business in 1838, at the corner of South Water and
Franklin streets. In 1844, his business had been trans-
ferred to Canal Street, in the Third Ward, the firm, at
that time, being J. P. Allen & Co. In 1852, the busi-
ness was removed to South Water Street, between Fake
and Market streets. Mr. Allen retired from the part-
nership and disappeared from the city in 1857. He
was one of the first lumber inspectors appointed in the
city, and, in 1849, inspected two cargoes of lumber for
George M. Higginson, which were among the first car-
goes subjected to that process in Chicago.
Erastus Wilcox, one of the early settlers of Chicago, was
born in Stockbridge, Mass , on July 24, 179S, and is still hale and
hearty, residing with his daughter at Highland Park, Lake Co.,
III. He married, January I, lS25, Miss Jane Newell, of Bristol,
Conn., who died August 9, 1S82. In 1837, he moved to Muske-
gon, Michigan, with his brother Horace and his brother-in-law
Theodore Newell, with both of whom he engaged in manufac
turing lumber ; erecting at that place the second steam saw mill
that was built there. The frame of this is still standing, and is
known as the Upper Ryerson, Hills & Co.'s Mill. In the fall of
1S39, he came to Chicago, and has remained here most of the time
since, chiefly devoting his time to lumber interests, until he retired
from mercantile pursuils altogether. His sons. Sextus N., Theo-
dore B., Herbert E. and George G. have been more or less promi-
nently connected with the lumber trade of the Northwest for many
years, having been extensive pine-land owners, lumber manufac-
turers and dealers. Sextus N. Wilcox, the eldest son, was drowned
in Lake Superior in June, 1881, in the fifty-sixth year of his age.
The next oldest son, Franklin, died in 1849. at Jefferson Barracks,
Mo., in the service of the United States. Theodore B. Wilcox has
TRADE AND MANUFACTURES.
691
been a resident of Chicago most of the time since 1839, and has
been chiefly identified with the lumber business, and is still quite
largely interested in pine-lands in connection with his brothers and
other parties. In the meantime he has been identilied with the lire
insurance companies at Muskegon and Chicago, and is also actively
engaged in grain commission. He is a member of the Chicago
Board of Trade and of the Chicago Stock Exchange.
George M. Higginson was also one of the early-
lumber dealers of Chicago, having, in 1843, bought an
interest in the firm of Norton & Tuckerman. This firm
maintained a general store and lumber yard; and after
Mr. Higginson's purchase the firm name became Tuck-
erman & Higginson. Mr. Higginson received his lum-
ber from Hall & Jerome, of Menominee, Mich., from
Elisha Bailey, of Peshtigo, Wis., and from a Mr. Fisk,
of De Pere. During 1845, he had a contract with W. M.
Ferry, of Grand Haven, Mich., for one million feet of
lumber; and supplies also came from Kalamazoo, St.
Joseph and Muskegon. In 1844, Mr. Higginson bought
a cargo of first-class lumber of a Mr. Rose, of Muske-
gon, running one-third to upper grades, paying for it
$5.75 a thousand. The first cargo of Saginaw lumber
was brought to Chicago by James Frazer, in 1847 or
1848, who built a mill at Kawkawlin [Coquelin], in
later years known as the Ballou mills. This cargo at-
tracted a great deal of attention, as it was the first cargo
of circular-sawed lumber ever brought to the city. It
was sold, for $8 a thousand feet, to Hugh Dunlop. The
average wholesale price of lumber, at that time, was
from $6 to $7 a thousand feet; the retail price through
the summer was $S a thousand, and during the winter
it was $9 a thousand feet.
In 1843, the lumber trade of the city was estimated
at 12,000,000 feet per year, but no records of its extent
are extant prior to 1847; from the latter year, however,
statistical tables may be compiled that are tolerably
complete and satisfactory in their showing. The year
1847 is also memorable from the fact of its being that
of numerous incendiary fires in lumber yards. Appar-
ently, if not really, it was the determination of incendi-
aries to drive lumber dealers out of the city — the actual
motive, however, being undeterminable. The firms in
whose yards lumber- was destroyed, were the following:
Foss & Brothers (J. P., R. H., S. J., and William H.),
whose planing-mill on West Monroe Street was also
burned. Price's yard and planing-mill were consumed,
as were A. G. Throop's, George R. Roberts's and several
others. Mr. Higginson's yard was set on fire, but not
wholly destroyed. It is worthy of note that very, few
except incendiary, fires originated in lumber yards. In
1850, Mr. Higginson moved to Kinzie-street bridge; and
he also took a yard on Canal Street, near Van Buren
Street, which was afterward occupied by Sheppard &
Sheriffe. Mr. Higginson retired from business in 1857.
C. N. Holden came to Chicago in 1837, and entered
the employment of the New York and Lake Michigan
Lumber Company, taking an interest in their yard in
1838. In 1838, Russell Green, who was employed at
the mill of this company, located at Grandville, Mich.,
and afterward became a member of the firm of Green
& Holden (A. H.). During 1839, in consequence of the
suspension of the Illinois State Bank, the lumber com-
pany also suspended, it being largely indebted to the
bank. John M. Underwood, who was then carrying on
the lumber business at the west end of Lake-street
bridge, bought the property of this company, including
a large quantity of pine lands in Michigan, assumed its
indebtedness to the bank, promising to pay in the cur-
rency issued by the bank, which had agreed to receive
it at its par value. Mr. Underwood received the bills
at fifty per cent, of their face value, and paid them to
the bank at their par value, thus realizing .1. onsiderable
profit; in addition to which he made a handsome profit
by the sale of tlic Michigan pine lands. In [847, hesold
his business to Sylvester Lind, and retired, a wealthy
man for those times, being worth, it is said by those
most familiar with his circumstances, about $40,000.
It is also said that he was the only man in Chicago, up
to that time, who had made a fortune in the lumber
business.
Green & Holden, already referred to, worked for
Mr. Underwood until 1847, when they formed a part-
nership, and went into the lumber business on Market
Street, on the second lot south of Madison Street. At
this time their capital was $2,000. of which tin \ had
borrowed $1,200 from Mr. Underwood. They remained
on Market Street three years, at the end of which time
they purchased a lot on the West Side, now occupied by
the Union Depot. At that time Randolph-street bridge
was the only one across the South Branch, the others
not having been re-built after the flood of 1849, and
they at first thought that to go so far south from the
main avenues of travel was to invite defeat; but after
considerable hesitation, they decided to purchase and
to put drummers on the street. The lot was 118x400
feet, and cost $6,500. One-half of the same lot was
sold, in 1S80, for $40,000. .Green & Holden went out
of business in 1862, and Mr. Green died at Geneva
Lake, Wis., in 1880. At the time of the dissolution of
the firm, Mr. Holden retired from business, but, in 1869,
he became engaged in the manufacture of paints, in
which business he continues at the present time. At
first he was alone, but some time afterward the linn be-
came Holden, Tascott & Co., then Holden & Tascott,
and, finally, in 1876, A. H. Holden & Co.
D. R. Holt came to Chicago in 1S47, anil bought
out George R. Roberts, who was located on the north-
west corner of Market and Madison streets. Mr. Holt
has been continuously in business ever since, the firm
having been, at different times, Holt & Mason, Holt &
Calkins, and Holt & Balcom, the present firm. They
now manufacture their lumber at Oconto, Wis. When
the Illinois & Michigan Canal was opened, Mr. Holt
made the first shipment of lumber from Chicago to St.
Louis.
Having given a brief sketch of the lumber dealers
in Chicago in 1839, it may be interesting to enumerate
those in business here in 1849, and to append a brief
sketch of the most important of these. Following is a
list of the lumber dealers in Chicago in 1849: James
P. Allen, C. K. Anderson, James Andrews, J. Beidler,
Bentley, Orr & Wamock, Butler & Norton, George C.
Morton & Co. who had a mill at Grand Haven , Camp-
bell & Throop, Carter & Stockbridge. Chapin & M.ush,
Darius Clark, Peter Crawford, James Dalton, Hugh
Dunlop, J. P. Emerson, W. M. Ferry, Foster & Holt,
Green & Holden. G. M. Higginson, James & Ham-
mond, Tarleton Jones, Sylvester Lind & Smith, James
Leonard, McCagg & Reed, Barber \- Mason, A.. & <1.
L.Norton, T. L. Parker, William T. Potter, George
R. Roberts, Sutherland & Co., Turner & Hilliard,
Throop, Wait & Co., Timothy Wright, (obi,, Hall &
Spades, Alexander Officer, and Charles Mears.
N. & C. H. MEARS. — This firm originated, in [844, with
Charles Mears, who established himself a- a lumber merchant "11
West Water Street, corner of Washington. In 1850, Nathan Mears
was taken into partnership and the linn became C. Mean
the principal yard being at No. 1 Kinzie Street. In is;;, this firm
established another lumber yard at the corner of Lumber and Max-
well streets. In is;-,, l li Bates became a member of the firm,
and. in 1859, Charles Mears became associated with John Baldwin,
Ibis company having their yard at the foot of Michigan Street, "ii
6g2
HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
the North Pier. In 1S62, Charles Mears retired frum the firm,
leaving it composed of Nathan Mears and Eli Bates, and their sec-
ond yard was located at Beach Street, south of Polk. At this time
the firm name was changed to Mears & Bates, Charles Mears re-
taining his membership with John Baldwin as the firm of Baldwin
& Co. These firms were reported as handling for a number of
years, more lumber than any house in the country. In 1S65, James
C. Brooks, who, in 1S61, became a clerk for the firm, was admitted
into partnership, and, in 1S65, G. H. Ambrose, who became a clerk
for the firm in 1S62, was also admitted, the firm name becoming, in
1S67, Mears, Bates & Co. G. H. Ambrose retired from the firm
in 1S75, and, in 1S79, James C. Brooks gave place to Charles II.
Mears. The firm remained as thus constituted until the death of
Eli Bates, which occurred during June, 1S81, leaving Nathan and
Charles H. Mears sole members of the firm. They are interested
in the mills at Oconto, Wis., and at Bay de Noquet, Mich., which
produce forty million feet a year. Besides selling largely in Chi-
cago, they have, for the last fifteen years, shipped to Missouri,
Nebraska and Kansas, as well as to New York and Pennsylvania.
Charles Mears was born in North Billerica, Middlesex County,
Mass., March 16, 1S14. He received a commercial education at
the academies of Billerica and Westford, Mass., and Hopkinton,
N. H. His parents were Nathan and Lucy (Livingston) Mears.
His father kept store during the construction of the canal between
the Merrimac River and Boston — probably the first canal in the
Union. He built a saw mill, kept a public house, and cultivated
several farms in connection with his mercantile business. He died
in June, 1S28, sixteen months after the death of his wife. They
had five children — Edwin, Charles, Nathan, Lucy Ann and Albert.
Charles taught school in Henniker, N. H., and Billerica, Mass, and
during 1835-36 was in the lumber and provision business in Lowell,
Mass. In the fall of 1S36, together with his brothers, Edwin and
Nathan, he bought a large and general stock of goods and shipped
them to Paw Paw, VanBuren Co., Mich., and there established the
house of E. & C. Mears & Co. This was one of the few west-
ern firms which weathered the financial storm of 1S37. Mr. Mears
then took up a claim at the mouth of a small creek, emptying into
White Lake, where, after returning from the East with mechanics
and machinery in the fall of 1837, he built a dam and erected his
first mill. In 1S38. he shipped his first cargo of lumber to Chi-
cago. In 1850, he removed to Lincoln, in Mason County, where
he built a mill, kept a general store, and resided until 1875, when
he moved to Chicago with his family. Up to that time he had lo-
cated about 40,000 acres of land, built fifteen mills in the counties
of Muskegon, Oceana and Mason, and built five harbors in which
registered vessels have traded. He kept a lumber yard in Milwau-
kee several years, with the assistance of Eli Bates, who was then
keeper of the Government light-house. In 1848. he sold out and
opened a yard in Chicago, at the corner of West Water and Wash-
ington streets. He built several steamers and vessels, and owned,
at various times, the sloop " Ranger" ; schooners " Ironsides,"
"Eliza Ward," "John Lily," "Black Hawk," " Pine Forest,"
"J. M. Hughes," "Japan." " Vincennes," "Echo," "Sea Star,"
"Monsoon," "Live Oak," " E. M. Peck," " G. Ellen Coral,"
"A. J. Mowery," and several others; tugs "Albion," "Bell
Chase," " Merchant," "Ben Butler," and yacht "Jerome" ; and
steamers, "C. Mears," " Mary Stuart " and " Annie Laurie." In
November, 1849, Eli Bates again applied for a clerkship, and was
gladly accepted. In 1850, Nathan Mears was taken into partner-
ship, and, in 1853, Eli Bates became a member of the firm. In
addition to the lumber from the mills of C. Mears, at Duck Lake,
Pentwater, Lincoln and Hamlin, Mich., the company bought lum-
ber from other mills and dressed lumber from Oswego, Buffalo,
Cleveland and Detroit. Their principal office and yard was at No.
I Kinzie Street, on the North Branch. They occupied dock room
sufficient to discharge nine vessels at one time, and, as reported,
handled more lumber, shingles, lath, etc., than any firm in the
country. Charles Mears continued in the business with various
partners and agents until April, 1883, when he sold out and retired
from the lumber business. In 1870, under contract with the Calu-
met, Chicago Canal and Dock Company, he dammed the Calumet
river and opened the new harbor channel, making eight feet of
water that season, and established a lumber yard on the beach
north of the harbor, floating the lumber ashore from his vessels. In
1872, not feeling satisfied with the progress of the work or the
Covernmcnt improvement of the harbor, he sold out to the com-
pany, and retired from the enterprise.
Nathan Mears was born in North Billerica, Mass., in 1815,
the son of Nathan and Lucy (Livingston) Mears. His father died
when this son was thirteen years of age. sixteen months after the
death of his wife. His early education was received in Billerica
and Westford, Mass. In 1834, he went to Boston, where he was
employed as a clerk until 1836, when he went to Paw Paw, Mich.,
and engaged in the mercantile business. He remained there until
the spring of 1850, when he came to Chicago and entered into
partnership with his brother Charles. Mr. Mears married Eliza-
beth A. Gilbert, daughter of Josiah Gilbert of Salem, Westchester
Co., N. Y. They have two daughters — Lucy A., now wife of
Jonathan Slade of Chicago ; Sarah E., now wife of James R.
McKay of Chicago; and one son living, Charles H., connected
with the above firm. A son, Nathan, died in 1859.
C. Mears & Co. — This is one of the oldest lumber firms in
the city. In 1859, Charles Mears became associated with John
Baldwin, Jr. (still maintaining his membership with C. Mears &
Co.), and this firm conducted their business under the name of
Baldwin & Co. At this time their lumber yard was started at the
North Pier. In i860, John A. Baldwin was admitted into the firm,
but, retiring from it in 1863, established himself in business on his
own account, and subsequently took H. T. Porter into partnership
with him. Charles Mears, in 1864, retired from the firm of Bald-
win & Co. — John Baldwin, Jr., taking into partnership Herbert L.
Baldwin. In 1S65, Charles Mears took into partnership E. H.
Denison, and opened an office at No. 241 South Water Street,
under the old firm name of C. Mears & Co. In 1867, one of their
lumber yards was moved to the northwest corner of Morgan and
Twenty-second streets, and in 186S their other yard was established
at the northeast corner of St. Clair and Morgan streets. In 1869,
in addition to these two yards, this company had one at the corner
of Lake and Jefferson streets, and another at the corner of Lake
and Market streets. In 1S70, Mr. Denison retired from this firm,
and became secretary for N. Ludington & Co., Mr. Mears taking
into partnership Jonathan Slade, who continued a member of the
firm until 1877, when he retired, leaving Mr. Mears the only mem-
ber of the company. The mills of this company were at Duck
Lake, Pentwater, Lincoln, and Hamlin, Mich.
B. W. Thomas is one of the oldest lumbermen, still living, in
the city. He opened a lumber-yard, in 1843, on Market Street,
near Washington, purchasing the business of Sylvester Lind.
After conducting the business alone for some years, he associated
with him Alexander Loyd, under the firm name of Thomas & Loyd.
This firm was dissolved after a few years, and Mr. Thomas was
alone until he formed a partnership with T. Newell & Co., of Ke-
nosha, Wis. This firm being dissolved, Mr. Thomas, after again
conducting the business alone for a short time, formed a copartner-
ship with Selah Reeve, under the name of Thomas & Reeve. Mr.
Thomas's next partnership was with Edward P. and Albert B.
Wilcox, which lasted from 1864 to 1S71, in the spring of which
year he sold his interests in the lumber business to his partners,
who, after a few years, moved West, and now have their headquar-
ters at Yankton, Dakota.
Major James F. Lord established himself in business in this
city in 1847. Previous to that time, for about fifteen years, he had
been employed as superintendent of a steam saw-mill at St. Joseph,
Mich., which had been hauled from Cleveland, Ohio, in the fall of
1833, and erected in the following winter by McKellop & Deacon.
Mr. McKellop was from Maryland, and Mr. Deacon was a son of
Commodore Deacon, of Philadelphia. This was a steam saw-mill,
with an upright-frame saw, and was the first erected anywhere in
the West. Mr. Lord went to St. Joseph in 1S31, and was super-
intendent of the McKellop & Deacon mill from the time of its
erection to 1837. In 1S47, he came to Chicago, and went into the
lumber business on the corner of LaSalle and North Water streets,
with S. F. Sutherland, Mr. Sutherland's name being, however, the
only one used. He remained with Mr. Sutherland until 1S60, when
he bought his partner's interest, and continued the business alone
until 1S70, when he sold out to Colonel W. S. Babcock, the firm
being Babcock Brothers. Colonel W. S. Babcock still continues
the business in company with George H. Park, under the firm
name of Babcock & Park. Mr. Sutherland built the schooner
" Ocean," at or near Detroit, in 1834, and sailed this vessel around
the lakes the same year. She was afterward used in shipping
lumber and other freight on Lake Michigan, until lost in 1S36.
Major Lord was born in Holloway, Me., in 1804. His parents
were Ephraim and Sarah (Dennis) Lord, natives of Ipswich, Mass.
Mr. Lord, when twenty years of age, went to Boston, and, for one
season, engaged in the carpenter's trade, going then to New York
City, where, for four years, he worked at the same trade. In 1829,
he settled at Birdsley Prairie, ten miles from Niles, Mich.; and in
1830, moved into Niles, where he assisted in building the first flour
mill upon the Dowagiac River, at that point. In 1832, he went to
St. Joseph, Mich. Mr. Lord married Miss Marcia Pepper, of
Windsor, Mass. They have two children living — Edgar A., of the
Lord & Bushnell Co., and Helen A.; four deceased — George H.,
William J., Caroline E. and Sarah M.
The lumber trade of Chicago grew gradually until
1855, when an immense advance was made. In 1854,
the receipts of timber, boards, planks, etc., amounted to
228,336,783 feet; of shingles, 28,061,250; and of lath,
TRADE AND MANUFACTURES.
°9.1
32,431,550; while, in 1855, the receipts of timber, etc.,
were 306,553,467 feet, an increase of 78,216,684 feet; of
shingles, the receipts in 1855 were 158,770,684, an in-
crease over those of 1854 of 130,709,610; of lath, the
increase over 1854 was a little over 14,000,000. The
year 1856, however, established Chicago as the great
lumber market of the country, upward of 456,000,000
feet being received, as shown by the records, and it is
asserted that fully 20,000,000 feet evaded the vigilance
of the custom-house officials. With reference to the
next year (1857), Mr. Bross, in summing up the traffic,
said :
" Its rise and progress are only equalled by the rapid develop-
ment of the city and the territory west of the great lakes ; and in
importance this branch of our commerce is second to no other.
Even to our own citizens, who have seen it from day to day as it
grew up, it is wonderful; and to walk along the branches of the
river, and see the banks lined for miles and miles with the immense
piles of lumber which are shipped to this port from the pineries of
Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada, is perhaps the best criterion that
can be adopted to comprehend the magnitude of the trade. The
capital invested in the lumber business is immense, not to speak of
the property owned by our merchants in mills and woodlands. The
wealth which is invested in stock, in docks, and in real estate in this
city can not be less than ten or a dozen million dollars, and the num-
ber of hands employed in the business, one way and another, can