|
The article below is excerpted
from
"Pupils Now Use Old Richmond Mansion,"
By H. Katherine
Smith, pub. in The Buffalo News, June 1, 1952
The red brick
and stucco mansion
of English Tudor architecture at 844
Delaware
Ave.
-- now used as an annex of
the Bishop McMahon High School, was the home of two of Buffalo's most
public-spirited citizens. They are the late Jewett M. Richmond, whose
name is perpetuated by Richmond Avenue, and the late Thomas Brown
Lockwood, donor of the Lockwood Library and his valuable collection of
first editions, manuscripts and other rare books at the University of
Buffalo.
In 1873, when Mr. Richmond bought the Delaware Ave..
property, its lawns, gardens and orchards extended back to the present Richmond Avenue. The Richmond
family was supplied with milk by a cow that grazed in what is now a
densely populated residential section of the city. In ample stables on
the property were horses of exceptional beauty and speed. The late John
Richmond, son of Jewett M., used to race on Delaware Ave., then popular
proving ground for fast horses owned by socially prominent Buffalonians.
Home
Rebuilt After Fire
In 1887, the original Richmond home burned. The fire
started on a
January night when the mercury was near zero. The young members of the
Richmond family were awakened and hurried to the stable for safety. At
first Jewett M. Richmond attempted to extinguish the fire with pails of
water. When this failed, he tried to summon the volunteer firefighters
by means of a direct wire from his home to the department headquarters.
The alarm failed to work. By the time the volunteers arrived, the house
was ablaze and burned to the ground.
Jewett M. Richmond's daughter, Lillian Richmond, lives at 25 Lincoln
Pky. Her debut near the turn of the century was one of the most
beautiful and gracious social functions in the onetime Richmond home.
Famous
Visitors
Grover
Cleveland was among
eminent visitors to the Richmond mansion When Jewett M. Richmond,
president of the marine bank, director of the Buffalo Board of trade
and member of the City Council, was asked to accept the nomination for
mayor, he declined in favor of his good friend, Grover Cleveland,
launching the latter on a career of public leadership that was to
culminate in the Presidency of the United States.
While she was first lady, Mrs. [Frances Folsom] Cleveland came from the
White House to take tea at the Richmond home.
Julia Marlowe, the Shakespearean actress, also was entertained there.
Richmond's
Business Interests
- During the panic of 1873, Jewett
M. Richmond built the Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad.
- His interests included also the
Buffalo Southwestern Railroad and the Buffalo Gas Light Company.
- He was a founder of the Buffalo
Club, and active in the Country Club of Buffalo. His favorite club was
the Falconwood Club of Grand Island.
- He was trustee of the Charity
Organization Society, a leader in the Young Men's Association, from
which our Public Library developed, and a generous contributor to the
Buffalo Historical Society, Society of Natural Sciences and the Academy
of Fine Arts.
|
The Richmond family lineage has been
traced back to Wiltshire, England. The first Richmond immigrant to the
United States was John Richmond, Jewett’s
fifth great grandfather. John Richmond settled in Taunton,
Massachusetts.
The family remained in Taunton for several generations until Jewett’s
father, Anson, a War of 1812 veteran, relocated to Salina, New York in
1813. Salina eventually became part of what is now known as Syracuse,
NY in 1848. After arriving in Salina, Anson became involved in the
manufacturing of salt.
On January 20, 1820, Anson married Betsey Melvin. Together, they had
six children, Alonzo (1790- 1834), Moses (1823-1890), Rathburn
(1829-1850), Jewett (1830-1899), Sybil
(1833 – 1853) and Mary (1835-1860).
Jewett Melvin Richmond was born in
Salina (now Syracuse) New York on December 9, 1830, the fourth child of
Anson Richmond and Betsey Melvin. Jewett attended public school
until the age of 16. At that time, Jewett went to work for Sampson
Jaqueth as a store clerk.
Jewett spent the next several years working in various stores in the
Liverpool/Syracuse area. In 1854, Jewett formed a partnership with his
then current employer, William Gere, William Barnes and two of his
brothers. The newly formed corporation successfully manufactured salt
and flour.
In 1860, Jewett resigned from that corporation to form a new one with
his cousin, Henry A. Richmond, son of Jewett’s father’s brother, Dean
in Buffalo, NY. Dean Richmond was prevalent in railroads and in the
Batavia, NY area. Operating under the name of J. M. Richmond & Co,
the cousins created a business that focused on grain, commission,
storage and elevating business. The cousins built the Richmond Elevator
(Photo) in 1863.
Jewett spent 1864 traveling throughout Europe. Upon his return from
Europe, Jewett reformed J.M. Richmond & Co with his brothers Moses
and Alonzo instead of his cousin, Henry.
It was during this time that the Richmond Elevator was built. Jewett
built the Richmond Elevator with the assistance of his cousin, Dean
Richmond of Batavia, NY. Dean Richmond was active in the railroading
business.
Richmond Elevator
The Richmond
Elevator was approximately four hundred feet square, with its front
on the Buffalo River and the Blackwell canal. The building itself is
125 by 125 feet, with a height of 125 feet, and is fitted up in the
best manner throughout, with a capacity of 15,000 bushels per day,
forming a portion of the equipment. The storage capacity is about
300,000 bushels, or 6,000,000 per annum. Like the other elevators here,
the Richmond is a member of the Western Elevator Company.
Charity Organiazayion Society
ORGANIZATION SOCIETY
The most conspicuous and effective charity here, however, is the
Charity Organization Society of Buffalo, for the subjoined sketch of
which we are indebted to Secretary Rosenau:
The
Charity Organization Society of Buffalo, N. Y., was founded in the
fall of 1878 by a number of public-spirited citizens for the purpose of
introducing advanced methods in the dispensation of public and private
charity, the repression of mendacity and
the prevention of
pauperism. It is modeled after the Charity
Organization Society of London, England, and was the first of some
sixty similar societies to be established in America. Its aim is not to
give actual relief, but to aid the worthy poor to become
self-supporting, and by a system of registration and thorough
investigation to discover and exterminate fraud in begging.
For the purposes
of its regular work the society maintains two offices,
one at No. 10 Court street and one in the Fitch Institute [Fitch
Creche, 159 Swan Street]. It systematically pursues its work of
investigation, and has in the course of its existence effected a saving
to the citizens of Buffalo in the reduction of the expenditures of the
poor department of nearly $500,000.
The
present officers of the society are : Edwin T. Evans, president; T.
Guilford Smith, vice-president; Nathaniel S. Rosenau, secretary and
treasurer. Trustees — One year — Edward Bennett, Thomas Cary, Sherman
S. Rogers, George P. Sawyer, E. Carlton Sprague ; two years — James H.
Dormer, Edwin T. Evans, Josiah G. Munro, T. Guilford Smith, Ansley
Wilcox ; three years — John H. Cowing, Josephus N. Earned, Jewett M.
Richmond, Solomon Scheu, Sheldon T. Viele.
|
Excerpt
from
Buffalo Morning
Express
Crystal
Water Company
ARTICLES OF
INCOROPRATION FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK YESTERDAY—CAPITAL STOCK OF
$100,000
A short time ago The Express exclusively announced that Jewett M.
Richmond and some other prominent men of this city would form a
corporation for the manufacture of crystal water.
Yesterday the articles of incorporation were filed with County Clerk
Bingham. It is stated that the capital stock is $100,000. Besides the
manufacture of the crystal water, mineral and soda waters will also be
mad. The office of the Crystal Water Company, as it is to be known,
will be in this city. A large district, including all of Western New
York will be supplied.
The directors for the ensuing year have been elected, as follows: Jewett M. Richmond, John R. H. Richmond, George
S. Gatchell, Ernest
Wende, George
L. Williams, William C Krauss, Franklin D. Locke, Arthur W.
Bickman, Frank S. McGraw, Thomas T. Ramadeil, Henry S. Beathig, Henry
S. Keating of Buffalo and James E. Thomas of Bay City, Mich.
|
Jewett was elected president of the Marine Bank in 1867 and
1892. The Marine Bank opened August 20, 1850, with its primary function
being finance of new shipping trade on the Great Lakes. After merging
with the American Exchange Bank and acquiring several other banks,
Marine National Bank of Buffalo was formed. After several more
acquisitions, Marine Midland Trust Company of Western New York was form
in the 1950’s. Marine Midland was eventually purchased by HSBC in the
1980’s.
In 1870, Jewett married Geraldine Rudderow,
daughter of John and Ann Smith Rudderow. Together, they had a total of
six children, Jewett Melvin Jr., John Rudderow Hunt, Lillian Rudderow,
Irving Anson, Gerald Hunt, and Edward Seymour. Jewett Melvin, Jr and
Irving both died in 1880, approximately 2 months apart, cause of death
unknown.
The Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad company was incorporated on March
23, 1872. The line was built with the aid of one million dollars from
the city of Buffalo and another million dollars donated by towns along
the line. The line was completed in July of 1875.
The line struggled financially until it was foreclosed on February 3,
1877. On September 11 1877, through court order, the line was
sold to Abraham Altman, Jewett M. Richmond, William H. H. Newman, John
F. Moulton and Wilson X. Bissell, as a committee of bondholders. The
sale was finalized November 26 1877.
Approximately 3 weeks later, on December 12 1877, the property
was then sold by Jewett M. Richmond and his wife, William H.
Newman and his wife, John P. Moulton and his wife, and Wilson S.
Bissell, to the Buffalo and Southwestern Railroad Company. The Buffalo
and Southwestern Railroad was then leased by the New York, Lake Erie
and Western (Erie Railroad) on August 1, 1880, for an annual rental of
35 percent of the gross earnings for the line. On November 19, 1895,
the Erie officially merged the line by virtue of owning 100 percent of
the B&SW stock.
In 1879, Rogers Road was renamed Richmond Avenue
in honor of Jewett M. Richmond for his work with the
Buffalo and Jamestown Railroad.
Jewett was an active philanthropist throughout his life. He was a
trustee of the Charity Organization Society for 17 years (1881-1898).
The Charity Organization Society of Buffalo was the first of its kind
in the United States. Based upon the London Charity Organization
Society, the focus of the charity was rehabilitation and self
sufficiency rather than random, unaccounted for alms.
|
In 1883, Jewett was on the list of
trustees of the Buffalo Board of Trade, where he was on the Finance
Committee, chaired the Building Committee and member of the Grain
Measuring Committee. He was also on the Merchant’s Exchange. During
this time, Jewett was also Vice President of the Marine Bank.
The Young Men’s Association was
formed to educate the working man. As a result, the YMA became a
holding center for a wide variety of donations. Committees formed by
The Young Men’s Association to sort and catalog the plethora of
donations became what is known as today’s Buffalo and Erie County
Public Library, Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Buffalo Science museum.
Jewett was an active member of the Young Men’s Association. He held the
office of President during 1886 and 1887. Under his leadership, the
building of the current library was completed. The
Young Men’s Association was originally housed in what was to become the
Richmond Hotel.
When the decision was made to create separate entities for all the
donations, the YMA moved out and conversion of the building to a hotel
began. The hotel was named for Jewett Richmond. May of 1886 brought
about legislation changing the name from The Young Men’s Association to
the Buffalo Library and executive committee became Board of Managers.
On January 3, 1887, the doors were officially open, with the official
opening ceremony occurring on February 7. All members of the
Richmond family were life members of the library.
The Richmond Hotel,
former home of the Young Men’s Association, was destroyed by fire on
March 18, 1887, three weeks after the hotel opened for business.
Numerous newspaper articles were published across the nation of the
fire and the subsequent investigation. The cause of the fire was never
determined. The hotel was rebuilt and renamed the Iroquois Hotel, which
remained in business until Statler, of Statler hotel fame, purchased
the property and closed it the day he opened the Statler hotel.
Also in 1883, Jewett formed The Ozark Plateau Land Company. The
officers were Jewett M. Richmond, President ; Liucian Hawley, Secretary
; Absaloni Nelson, Local Agent in Missouri. The offices were located in
Lebanon, Mo., and at 24 Erie St., Buffalo. The company purchased
150,000 acres in Southern Central Missouri, with the intent of
reselling to settlers.
During 1880, Jewett purchased a 200 acre farm near Hamburg to raise and
breed Jersey Cattle. Jewett’s cattle were classed as some of the best
cattle in the country during this time. The cattle produced greater
amounts of milk and butter when compared to other cattle of the era.
On January 25, 1895, the Buffalo Morning Express announced that Jewett
M. Richmond and several other investors formed the Crystal Water
Company. Jewett was president of the company until his death in 1899,
when George L. Williamson succeeded him.
|
