BIOGRAPHIES
Wayne County Michigan
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WALDO A. AVERY
President American Exchange National Bank; born, Bradley, Me., May 14, 1850;
son of Swell and Eliza H. (Eddy) Avery; educated in public schools, Saginaw, Mich.;
married in Ohio, Aug. 7, 1885, Christine Morrison.
Removed with parents from Maine to Port Huron, Mich., 1854; began active career as a boy in the woods and lumber mills at Saginaw; entered lumber manufacturing on his own account and for many years operated as Avery & Co., with head-quarters at Saginaw, and as Richardson & Avery, Detroit and Duluth; retired from lumber business, 1906, and is now in extensive operator in timber lands in his own name; president American Exchange National Bank; director Detroit United Bank, Second National Bank of Saginaw, Mich., U.S. Gypsum Co. of Chicago, Ill. Republican.
Clubs: Detroit Country, Old. Recreations: Outdoors sports. Office: 1205 Majestic Bldg., Detroit. Residence: Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.
The Book of Detroiters Edited by Albert Nelson Marquis Copyright, 1908
Photo from Ray Downing at Find-a-grave
Buried at Woodlawn Cemetery - Detroit Michigan
Lumberman based in Saginaw, MI, he became president of the Alabaster Co. of Detroit, Chicago & Alabaster, MI, which supplied the plaster for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. A Michigan mineral, gypsum is a form of alabaster; the Alabaster Co. was incorporated in 1902 as the U.S. Gypsum Co. Avery was also a major investor in the Majestic Building (Detroit, 1895), but it was demolished in 1962.
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WALDO A. AVERY
Seldom has the passing of an individual severed
more business ties and more extensive associations with men and affairs
than the recent death of Waldo A. Avery, who died at his home at
Grosse Point Farms. May 0, 1914. He was regarded as one of Detroit's
millionaires, and the chief source of his wealth had been the lumber
interests of Michigan, but for many years his name was also closely
identified with banking, manufacturing, real estate ownership and the
social life of his home city.
For a period of sixty years the name Avery has been prominently
associated with the lumber interests of Michigan, and it was the activities of the late Mr. Avery that made it so well known in the varied business and financial affairs of Detroit and other sections of the state. In
1852 the firm of Eddy & Avery moved out from the state of Maine and
began the purchase of Michigan pine timber. Another well-known Michigan lumberman, the late Simon J. Murphy, became an associate of the
senior Avery about 1805, after the death of Mr. Eddy. As Avery &
Murphy the firm was among the largest operators in the pine regions and
continued an uninterrupted prosperity until the death of Mr. Avery about
1877. Among old-time lumbermen, few names are held in higher esteem
than the heads of the firm just mentioned.
The pioneer Michigan lumber operator above mentioned was the
father of Waldo A. Avery, of Detroit. The latter was born in the state
of Maine at Bradley. Penobscot county, May 14, 1850. lacking at the
time of his death only five days of the age of sixty-four. His parents
were Swell and Eliza H. (Eddy) Avery. The family in both the
paternal and maternal lines had been established in New England during
the colonial epoch. Swell Avery in 1854 moved his family from the
Pine Tree State to Michigan, establishing his home at Port Huron,
which was then a small village. It was at Port Huron that Waldo A.
Avery lived until fourteen, and his education came from the schools of
Port Huron and Saginaw. His best preparation for life, however, was
through the practical school of experience, in association with men and
affairs, and particularly in different branches of the great lumber industry. As a boy in Port Huron he had worked about the mills and in the
offices, and when the family moved to Saginaw in 1865 he soon became
a worker in the woods, on the river, and in practically every department
of operations from the felling of the trees in the forest to the making
of the finished product and its distribution in the mills and lumber
yards. It was in that way he laid the foundation for his own career of
success and usefulness. In a few years he was engaged in lumbering on
his own responsibility and his success is largely due to the fact of his
close familiarity by practical experience with nearly every detail of the
business.
In 1876, at the age of twenty-six, Mr. Avery became interested in
the ownership and operation of a number of tugs and lumber vessels
engaged in the handling of logs and lumber on the Saginaw river. These
interests he retained and managed until 1883. The business was then
extended and several large lake vessels were added to the licet, and the
entire establishment was operated tinder the name of Hawgood & Avery
Transit Company, with headquarters in the city of Cleveland. This
company is still in existence and has a large fleet of vessels in commission in general freight transportation on the
Great Lakes.
After 1906 Mr. Avery had retired from practical lumbering, but
remained in the timber land business, and was a member of the firm of
Richardson & Avery of Duluth, Minnesota, dealers in pine lands and
large manufacturers of lumber. Formerly Mr. Avery was president
of the Alabaster Company of Detroit, Chicago and Alabaster, Michigan.
When the interests of the company were merged into the United States
Gypsum Company, he continued as a stockholder in the latter corporation
and was also a director. His oldest son is president of the United Slates
Gypsum Company. The gypsum mines of the original company are
located at Alabaster. Iosco county, Michigan, and it was this company
which furnished the plaster for the staff utilized in the construction
of the buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
In 1887 Mr. Avery removed his home and business headquarters to
Detroit, and lived in a residence on Woodward avenue until 1002. In
that year he occupied a beautiful suburban home at Grosse Pointe Farm,
where his death occurred. During his residence in Detroit Mr. Avery
manifested notable public spirit in helping along many measures designed
for the welfare and progress of the city. His accumulated interests made
him prominent in banking, real estate and constructive enterprise. From
1899 he was president of the American Exchange National Bank of
Detroit until its merger with the old Detroit National Bank. Other best
business interests were directorships in the United Limited Hank and
the Second National Bank of Saginaw. Of his holdings in Detroit the
most noteworthy is the Majestic building on the Campus Martins, one
of the most modern and imposing business blocks in the entire country.
Mr. Avery owned that building jointly with E. H. Doyle.
The source or his general success in the may be ascribed almost
entirely to his own ability and efforts. As a business man of integrity
and high principle he stood second to none in the great commercial
center of Detroit. Mr. Avery was a traveler as well as a business man,
and especially in later years never denied himself an opportunity for
culture and enjoyment which comes through a broad knowledge of the
world and its people. In outdoor sport he was especially enthusiastic,
and it is said that his last illness was caused by over exertion at his
favorite game of golf while in Florida. At Detroit he held membership
in the Detroit, the Country and Old Dubs. In politics his support was
always given to the Republican interests, though never allowing his name
to the used in connection with the candidacy for any public office.
Mr. Avery is survived by his widow and sons: Sewell L., president
of the United States Gypsum Company, with headquarters in Chicago;
and Waldo A. Jr.. whose home is in Portland, Oregon, and who is
prominently identified with the timber land business on the Pacific
coast.
History of Michigan, Volume 3 By Charles Moore
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WALDO A. AVERY
A capitalist of Detroit who
passed a war on the 9th of May, 1914, and who had
been identified with prominent lumber, industrial and
commercial interests, had centered his interests in the
city since 1887 but had been identified with Michigan
from the age of four years. He was born at Bradley,
Penobscot county, Maine, on the 14th of May, 1850,
his parents being Sewell and Eliza II. (Eddy) Avery.
In 1854 his parents came with the family to Michigan
and between the ages of four and fourteen years he
was a resident of Port Huron. His father was early
identified with the lumber industry of this state and
both he and his wife continued residents of Michigan
until called to their final rest.
In the attainment of his education Waldo A. Avery
attended the common schools of Port Huron and of Saginaw. Throughout life he remained a close and discriminating student in the school of affairs and experience brought to him that broad knowledge for which
many depend upon college training, which, however,
never brings forth the practical values that are obtained in the school of experience. From early youth
Mr. Avery was connected more or less closely with
the lumber industry, working at various jobs, his increasing usefulness winning him advancement until he
reached a place of leadership among the lumber manufacturers of this state. In 1805 the family removed to
Saginaw and it was there that he laid the foundation
for his later success. After working for others for a
time he began business on his own account and the
intimate knowledge that he had acquired of all of
the various details and phases of the business constituted the broad foundation upon which be built his
subsequent success. For many years ho operated most
extensively, prominently and profitably in connection
with the development of the lumber interests of the
middle west. In 1876, when but twenty-six years of
age, he became one of the owners and operators of a
number of tugs and lumber vessels, which were used
in connection with the handling of logs and lumber
on the Saginaw river. He was identified with that
branch of the business until 1883, when he expanded
the scope of his operations by securing an interest in
several large lake vessels, which were operated under
the firm style of the Hawgood ft Avery Transit Company, which had its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.
Constantly extending the scope of his activities, Mr.
Avery became a member of the firm of Richardson
Avery of Duluth, Minnesota, which has dealt extensively in pine lands and has conducted lumber manufacturing interests of large volume and importance
Forceful and resourceful, Mr. Avery likewise became
connected with other business interests, being chosen
to the presidency of tho Alabaster Company of Detroit,
Chicago and Alabaster, Michigan, and when the interests of this company were merged into the United
States Gypsum Company ho continued as a stockholder in the latter corporation, of which he was also
one of the directors. The gypsum mines of the original company are located at Alabaster, Iosco county,
Michigan, and this company furnished the plaster for
the staff which was used in the construction of the
beautiful "White City,'* by which name the World's
Columbian Exposition of Chicago of 1803 was often
called.
Mr. Avery became a resident of Detroit in 1887
and maintained his home in the city until 1902, when
he established a beautiful suburban residence at Grosse
Pointe Farms. However, he still retained large interests in lumber in Michigan and in the west, and he
was also the president of the Majestic Company, which
owns and conducts the Majestic building of Detroit.
He was president of the American Exchange National
Hank of Detroit from 1899 until 1909 and was a director of the Second National Hank of Saginaw.
Mr. Avery was twice married, his first wife being
Miss Nellie Lee of Saginaw, Michigan, who was the
mother of his three children: Sewell L., who is now
president of the United States Gypsum Company, with
headquarters in Chicago; Aria S., who died in 1897,
unmarried; and Waldo A., who is prominently identified with timber and land interests on the Pacific
coast and is now a resident of Detroit. Mr. Avery's
second wife was in her maidenhood, Miss Christine
Morrison. She is now deceased.
Mr. Avery always found his chief recreation in outdoor sports and he belonged to the Detroit, Country and
Old Clubs, all of Detroit. His political allegiance was
given to the republican party and he ever manifested
the keenest interest in the upbuilding and in the welfare of Detroit. His cooperation was always counted
upon in tho work of general improvement and progress and yet he never sought to figure prominently in
any public light outside of business. A contemporary writer said of him: "His success, and it has
been great, is the more gratifying to contemplate by
reissue of the fact that it stands as the concrete result of his own ability and efforts, while his course
has ever been guided by those stanch principles of
personal integrity and honor that ever beget objective
confidence and respect." He passed away May 9,
1914. It was a time of deep gloom to all who were
associated with him through the strong ties of friendship. They had learned to esteem him most highly
by reason of his sterling worth, his high sense of personal honor, his successful accomplishments in business and his progressiveness and loyalty in citizenship.
All who knew him were proud to call him friend.
The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 3 edited by Clarence Monroe Burton, William Stocking, Gordon K. Miller
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