John Edward Addicks, president of the Boston Gas and Light Company, was born in Philadelphia, Nov. 21, 1841. Mr. Addicks was educated in the public schools of the city, entering the high school first of his class and graduating when fifteen years of age. He began his business life in a wholesale dry goods house where he remained until he was nineteen years old, when he entered the flour store of Levi Knowles. He became a partner in this firm on attaining his majority and displayed an energy in developing the business which brought him real success. Three years later he began the business on his own account and pushed so energetically that in time he became the foremost businessman in that line. He was largely instrumental in introducing to the Eastern seaboard the spring wheat flour of the Minnesota region. In 1864 he married Laura Watson Butcher and had one child, a daughter, Florence. Mr. Addicks began investing in Philadelphia real estate, and became prominent in this field of operation. Shortly after this period his attention was called to the use of water gas as an illuminant, an infant industry at that time, but with much promise of a valuable development. He successively led the Jersey City Gas Works, the Consumer's Gas Co. of Chicago, and the Bay State Gas Co. of Boston. Mr. Addicks also built the gas works in Wilmington, DE. (From Morris' "Makers of Philadelphia")
John Edward Addicks, president of the Boston Gas and Light Company, was born in Philadelphia, Nov. 21, 1841. Mr. Addicks was educated in the public schools of the city, entering the high school first of his class and graduating when fifteen years of age. He began his business life in a wholesale dry goods house where he remained until he was nineteen years old, when he entered the flour store of Levi Knowles. He became a partner in this firm on attaining his majority and displayed an energy in developing the business which brought him real success. Three years later he began the business on his own account and pushed so energetically that in time he became the foremost businessman in that line. He was largely instrumental in introducing to the Eastern seaboard the spring wheat flour of the Minnesota region. In 1864 he married Laura Watson Butcher and had one child, a daughter, Florence. Mr. Addicks began investing in Philadelphia real estate, and became prominent in this field of operation. Shortly after this period his attention was called to the use of water gas as an illuminant, an infant industry at that time, but with much promise of a valuable development. He successively led the Jersey City Gas Works, the Consumer's Gas Co. of Chicago, and the Bay State Gas Co. of Boston. Mr. Addicks also built the gas works in Wilmington, DE. (From Morris' "Makers of Philadelphia")
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