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<span class=prefix>Hon.</span> Nelson Evans Whitaker

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Hon. Nelson Evans Whitaker

Birth
Principio Furnace, Cecil County, Maryland, USA
Death
28 Dec 1909 (aged 70)
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, USA
Burial
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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History of Greater Wheeling and Vicinity (1912), pp. 863 and 864:

[...In politics Mr. Glass gives allegiance to the cause of the Republican party. On the 10th of December, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Glass to Miss Sarah R. Whitaker, daughter of Hon. Nelson E. Whitaker, one of the honored and influential citizens of Wheeling, and the two children of their union are Margaret, now Mrs. W. W. Holloway, and Eleanor, now Mrs. Gibson L. Caldwell.

WHITAKER-GLESSNER COMPANY.——It is distinctly within the province of this historical compilation to enter record concerning those staunch and important industrial concerns through which is being conserved the commercial progress and prestige of the metropolis of West Virginia, and prominent on the list of such concerns is that whose corporate title initiates this paragraph.

The Whitaker—Glessner-Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of West Virginia on the 28th of December, 1903, and purchased the property and business of the Whitaker Iron Company, located in Wheeling, and of the Laughlin Nail Company, at Martins Ferry, located on the opposite side of the Ohio river in Belmont county, Ohio. N. E. Whitaker, who became president of the company at the time of its incorporation, retained this office until his death and W. L. Glessner has been its vice-president from the beginning to the present time. The Whitaker Iron Company, which had important influence in furthering the industrial growth of Wheeling, was incorporated on the 28th of October, I875, with a paid-up capital stock of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. George P. Whitaker was the first president of the company and N. E. Whitaker the first secretary. The company acquired the present Whitaker mill, which at that time had only one sheet mill and otherwise had been equipped principally for the manufacturing of railroad rails, fishplates and iron spikes--a branch of the business that became obsolete upon the introduction of Bessemer steel for such purposes. None of the original stockholders of this company are now living.

The Laughlin Nail Company was founded in April, 1878, with Alexander Laughlin as president and W. L. Glessner as secretary, and it forthwith effected the purchase of the plant and business of the Ohio City Nail Company. Its functions were comprised in the manufacturing of iron cut—nails and at the initiation of operations it had fifty nail machines in commission. Its capacity was expanded by degrees until it finally had two hundred and twelve nail machines in operation and had precedence as the largest cut-nail factory in the world; but the manufacture of products of this order gradually ceased, when wire nails came into such general use. Later the company built and equipped a tin mill, the operation of which was continued until 1895, when this department of the enterprise was sold to the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. In 1900 a shovel manufactory was added to the business, but the manufacturing of shovels was later discontinued and a six-mill sheet plant was erected and equipped. This, with all other property of the corporation, was merged into the Whitaker-Glessner Company upon the organization of the latter, in 1903, as noted above.

After the Whitaker-Glessner Company acquired the properties of the Whitaker Iron Company and. the Laughlin Nail Company it added materially to its productive capacity and it now operates eighteen sheet and tin mills, with the best of equipment and accessories. It also owns the controlling interest in the Portsmouth Steel Company, with works at Portsmouth, Ohio; and the Wheeling Corrugating Company, with works at Wheeling and Martins Ferry and warehouses in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Chattanooga. The paid-up capital stock of the Whitaker—Glessner Company is $4,097,125 and it employs in its works, including the plants of the Portsmouth Steel Company and the Wheeling Corrugating Company, more than three thousand persons. The personnel of the executive corps of the company at the present time is here noted: Alexander Glass, president; W. L. Glessner, vice president; A. C. Whitaker, treasurer; A. T. Sweeney, secretary; and N. P. Whitaker, general manager.

The Whitaker-Glessner Company manufactures sheets and black plates. The Wheeling Corrugating Company has as its output tin plates, galvanized sheets, steel ceilings, conductor pipes, eaves troughs and miscellaneous articles from galvanized sheets and tin plates. The Portsmouth Steel Company produces open hearth steel, plates, sheets and tin plates. The annual business of the Whitaker-Glessner Company and its subsidiary organizations now reaches the 'notable aggregate of more than ten million dollars.]

American Artisan - Hardware Record (January 8, 1910), Vol. 59, Iss. 2, p. 33:
[OBITUARY
Nelson E. Whitaker
Nelson Evans Whitaker, President of the Wheeling corrugating Co., Wheeling, W. Va., the Whitaker-Glessner Co. of Wheeling, the Tyler Tube & Pipe Co., Washington, Pa., the Principio Forge Co. of Maryland, the Riverside Bridge Co. of Martins Ferry, Ohio, he Acme Carbon Co, of West Virginia, the Whitaker Iron Co., and Vice-President of the Portsmouth (Ohio) Steel Co., and director of the La Belle Iron Works, Steubenville, Ohio, died on December 28 at his home on South Chapline Street, Wheeling, W. Va., following a three days' illness of pneumonia. Mr. Whitaker was taken ill on Christmas night, and he passed away peacefully with members of his immediate family at his bedside. Mr. Whitaker was born at Principio Furnace, Cecil County, Maryland, on November 9, 1839, and was therefore in his 71st year when he died. After completing his education he went to Wheeling, W. Va., in 1862, to take the position of Secretary of the Crescent Iron Works, of which his father, George P. Whitaker, was President. He virtually assumed the management of the works from that time and maintained it continuously until his death. When his father passed away he succeeded to the presidency of the Whitaker Iron Co. The Whitaker mill prospered continuously under the management of Mr. Whitaker, furnishing remunerative employment to thousands of workers and aiding materially in the up-building of the city of Wheeling. Some years ago the Whitaker mill was amalgamated with the old Laughlin mill under the name of the Whitaker-Glessner Co., of which, as stated above, Mr. Whitaker was president at the time of his death. Mr. Whitaker was chosen to important legislative positions which he filled with distinction and credit. He served as a member of both branches of the West Virginia Legislature. He was also frequently mentioned for higher offices, including Governor of West Virginia and United States Senator, but he always discouraged these suggestions, preferring the business career in which he was engaged. Mr. Whitaker accepted the chairmanship of the West Virginia Commission to. the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and aided largely in arranging the creditable state exhibit at the Fair in St. Louis. Mr. Whitaker was a man of unusual business and intellectual attainments, and lovable social qualities. Probably no man ever-did more to build up the community in which he labored than he, and none responded more promptly to appeals to aid movements for civic betterment. He gave freely of his time and talents without counting the sacrifices involved. In the death of Mr. Whitaker the iron and steel industry of the country loses one of its most prominent and deeply respected members. He is survived by his widow, two sons, Albert C. and Henry C. Whitaker, and two daughters, Mrs. Alexander Glass and Mrs. Dwight H. Wagner.]
History of Greater Wheeling and Vicinity (1912), pp. 863 and 864:

[...In politics Mr. Glass gives allegiance to the cause of the Republican party. On the 10th of December, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Glass to Miss Sarah R. Whitaker, daughter of Hon. Nelson E. Whitaker, one of the honored and influential citizens of Wheeling, and the two children of their union are Margaret, now Mrs. W. W. Holloway, and Eleanor, now Mrs. Gibson L. Caldwell.

WHITAKER-GLESSNER COMPANY.——It is distinctly within the province of this historical compilation to enter record concerning those staunch and important industrial concerns through which is being conserved the commercial progress and prestige of the metropolis of West Virginia, and prominent on the list of such concerns is that whose corporate title initiates this paragraph.

The Whitaker—Glessner-Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of West Virginia on the 28th of December, 1903, and purchased the property and business of the Whitaker Iron Company, located in Wheeling, and of the Laughlin Nail Company, at Martins Ferry, located on the opposite side of the Ohio river in Belmont county, Ohio. N. E. Whitaker, who became president of the company at the time of its incorporation, retained this office until his death and W. L. Glessner has been its vice-president from the beginning to the present time. The Whitaker Iron Company, which had important influence in furthering the industrial growth of Wheeling, was incorporated on the 28th of October, I875, with a paid-up capital stock of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. George P. Whitaker was the first president of the company and N. E. Whitaker the first secretary. The company acquired the present Whitaker mill, which at that time had only one sheet mill and otherwise had been equipped principally for the manufacturing of railroad rails, fishplates and iron spikes--a branch of the business that became obsolete upon the introduction of Bessemer steel for such purposes. None of the original stockholders of this company are now living.

The Laughlin Nail Company was founded in April, 1878, with Alexander Laughlin as president and W. L. Glessner as secretary, and it forthwith effected the purchase of the plant and business of the Ohio City Nail Company. Its functions were comprised in the manufacturing of iron cut—nails and at the initiation of operations it had fifty nail machines in commission. Its capacity was expanded by degrees until it finally had two hundred and twelve nail machines in operation and had precedence as the largest cut-nail factory in the world; but the manufacture of products of this order gradually ceased, when wire nails came into such general use. Later the company built and equipped a tin mill, the operation of which was continued until 1895, when this department of the enterprise was sold to the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. In 1900 a shovel manufactory was added to the business, but the manufacturing of shovels was later discontinued and a six-mill sheet plant was erected and equipped. This, with all other property of the corporation, was merged into the Whitaker-Glessner Company upon the organization of the latter, in 1903, as noted above.

After the Whitaker-Glessner Company acquired the properties of the Whitaker Iron Company and. the Laughlin Nail Company it added materially to its productive capacity and it now operates eighteen sheet and tin mills, with the best of equipment and accessories. It also owns the controlling interest in the Portsmouth Steel Company, with works at Portsmouth, Ohio; and the Wheeling Corrugating Company, with works at Wheeling and Martins Ferry and warehouses in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Chattanooga. The paid-up capital stock of the Whitaker—Glessner Company is $4,097,125 and it employs in its works, including the plants of the Portsmouth Steel Company and the Wheeling Corrugating Company, more than three thousand persons. The personnel of the executive corps of the company at the present time is here noted: Alexander Glass, president; W. L. Glessner, vice president; A. C. Whitaker, treasurer; A. T. Sweeney, secretary; and N. P. Whitaker, general manager.

The Whitaker-Glessner Company manufactures sheets and black plates. The Wheeling Corrugating Company has as its output tin plates, galvanized sheets, steel ceilings, conductor pipes, eaves troughs and miscellaneous articles from galvanized sheets and tin plates. The Portsmouth Steel Company produces open hearth steel, plates, sheets and tin plates. The annual business of the Whitaker-Glessner Company and its subsidiary organizations now reaches the 'notable aggregate of more than ten million dollars.]

American Artisan - Hardware Record (January 8, 1910), Vol. 59, Iss. 2, p. 33:
[OBITUARY
Nelson E. Whitaker
Nelson Evans Whitaker, President of the Wheeling corrugating Co., Wheeling, W. Va., the Whitaker-Glessner Co. of Wheeling, the Tyler Tube & Pipe Co., Washington, Pa., the Principio Forge Co. of Maryland, the Riverside Bridge Co. of Martins Ferry, Ohio, he Acme Carbon Co, of West Virginia, the Whitaker Iron Co., and Vice-President of the Portsmouth (Ohio) Steel Co., and director of the La Belle Iron Works, Steubenville, Ohio, died on December 28 at his home on South Chapline Street, Wheeling, W. Va., following a three days' illness of pneumonia. Mr. Whitaker was taken ill on Christmas night, and he passed away peacefully with members of his immediate family at his bedside. Mr. Whitaker was born at Principio Furnace, Cecil County, Maryland, on November 9, 1839, and was therefore in his 71st year when he died. After completing his education he went to Wheeling, W. Va., in 1862, to take the position of Secretary of the Crescent Iron Works, of which his father, George P. Whitaker, was President. He virtually assumed the management of the works from that time and maintained it continuously until his death. When his father passed away he succeeded to the presidency of the Whitaker Iron Co. The Whitaker mill prospered continuously under the management of Mr. Whitaker, furnishing remunerative employment to thousands of workers and aiding materially in the up-building of the city of Wheeling. Some years ago the Whitaker mill was amalgamated with the old Laughlin mill under the name of the Whitaker-Glessner Co., of which, as stated above, Mr. Whitaker was president at the time of his death. Mr. Whitaker was chosen to important legislative positions which he filled with distinction and credit. He served as a member of both branches of the West Virginia Legislature. He was also frequently mentioned for higher offices, including Governor of West Virginia and United States Senator, but he always discouraged these suggestions, preferring the business career in which he was engaged. Mr. Whitaker accepted the chairmanship of the West Virginia Commission to. the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and aided largely in arranging the creditable state exhibit at the Fair in St. Louis. Mr. Whitaker was a man of unusual business and intellectual attainments, and lovable social qualities. Probably no man ever-did more to build up the community in which he labored than he, and none responded more promptly to appeals to aid movements for civic betterment. He gave freely of his time and talents without counting the sacrifices involved. In the death of Mr. Whitaker the iron and steel industry of the country loses one of its most prominent and deeply respected members. He is survived by his widow, two sons, Albert C. and Henry C. Whitaker, and two daughters, Mrs. Alexander Glass and Mrs. Dwight H. Wagner.]


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