Manufacturer Notes: Dean, Foster & DawleyMESSRS. H. F. AND A. J. DAWLEY, of Norwich, the well-known manufacturers and dealers in lumber, shingles, moldings, etc., are sons of Joseph Frank Dawley, now a resident of Westford. Their paternal grandfather, Joseph Dawley, came from Rhode Island with his wife and family, and settled at Willington, Tolland County, Conn., where he carried on farming. Both Grandfather and Grandmother Dawley lived to about the age of fourscore years. They had eight sons and one daughter. The two sons now living are: Andrew, who is superintendent of the Hadley Thread Company in Holyoke; and Joseph Frank, father of Messrs. Dawley. ............ Arthur James Dawley, the younger of the two elder brothers, was born March 9, 1855, in the town of Willington, and was reared to farm life. At the age of fourteen he began to work out during the summers, attending school in the winters. When he was seventeen years of age, his father hired him out until he should be twenty; and when that time came he was given the rest of his time. At twenty-one years of age he went to Boston, and entered the office of E. A. Buck & Co., the firm a year later becoming Dean, Foster & Co. Their business was the manufacture of glass bottles for druggists, with the name of the customers blown in the glass. Mr. Dawley began work the very day of his arrival, which was on September 4, 1876, his wages being eleven dollars per week. He was at first shipping clerk, and within a year became salesman and city collector. Some time after this he was sent on the road as salesman for the New England States at a salary of one hundred dollars per month and expenses. In the spring of 1879 he was sent out to the Northwestern States, including among others Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Kansas. He traveled in the interests of his firm until 1883, doing business in various parts of the country, and each year visiting thirty States. In 1882 he was offered a salary of thirty-five hundred dollars and all of his expenses paid; and in 1883 he became a member of the firm of Dean, Foster & Dawley, occupying the whole of a five-story building at 120 Lake Street, Chicago, and the other two partners being in Boston. This firm was the second largest in the United States in its line, doing a business of half a million dollars a year. On April 1, 1889, Mr. Dawley severed his connection on account of poor health, and, coming to Norwich, engaged in the lumber business with his brother. Fifteen months later he went to New York City, and, becoming a partner in the firm of Webster, Dawley & Co., at 52 Park Place, wholesale dealers in druggists' glassware and sundries, traveled in the New England States and West as far as the Rockies. He built up a large trade, but in February, 1892, sold his interest in the business to his partners, and returned to Norwich, where he has since been engaged in his present business in company with his brother. Mr. Arthur J. Dawley is an independent voter. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His home is at 40 Oak Street. There are but few keener and more successful business men in Norwich or in the New England States than he; and his success has been won entirely by his own energy, enterprise, and natural business aptness. On September 12, 1877, Mr. Arthur J. Dawley was united in marriage with Eugenia M., daughter of Obed P. and Charlotte A. (Ladd) Me Lean, of Glastonbury, Conn. Mrs. McLean died in 1895, at the age of seventy-two years, leaving four children: Ellen and May E., who are both in Hartford; James O., a farmer and market gardener of Glastonbury; and Mrs. Dawley. Mr. McLean is living on his farm, still in good health. Mrs. Eugenia M. Dawley was educated in the schools of her native town, and subsequently taught school for two years prior to her marriage. She is a member of the First Congregational Church on Broadway. Mr. Herbert F. Dawley received a practical common-school education, and at the age of twenty struck out for himself in farming. When twenty-one years old he entered a wood-turning establishment, and he was in the spoke department for four years at ordinary wages. About 1876 he became partner to E. A. Buck, the company being known as Buck & Dawley, and carried on a grocery business. They managed also a grist-mill and a saw-mill, which were run by water, and likewise a portable steam saw-mill, the two latter being used for manufacturing into lumber the timber cut from a number of lots of woodland that they bought. The firm employed many workmen and many teams, and did a large and paying business. Since his brother Arthur returned to Norwich in 1892, Mr. Dawley has been in company with him; and together they have built up one of the most thriving enterprises ever started in this city. Their planning-mill and plant, which covers fifteen acres, and is fitted with all modern machinery, is at Fort Point, three miles below Norwich, and their office and city yard off Laurel Hill Avenue. They employ fifty to sixty men. Their timber and lumber come from the South and West, and from Maine and other Northern sections. They have a large wholesale trade for Georgia pine timber and North Carolina pine and cypress, and ship it by rail throughout the New England States and Canada. They do a business of about a quarter of a million dollars annually. Mr. Herbert F. Dawley was married on May 30, 1876, to Martha, daughter of Peter Platt, of Ashford. Biographical Review Publishing Co.; Biographical Review Volume XXVI Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens Of New London County Connecticut. (Boston, Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1898). _______________________________________________________________________________________ A branch of the firm of Dean, Foster & Co., Boston, manufacturer of druggists' lettered prescription bottles, has been established in this city under the name of Dean, Foster & Dawley. Mr. Arthur J. Dawley being the resident partner. In addition to their specialty, the firm will carry a general line of druggists' sundries. the influential prominence of the Eastern house assures for the Chicago branch a cordial welcome by Western druggists. The Druggist. Vol. V No. 3. (Chicago, G. P. Engelhard & Co., March, 1883) _______________________________________________________________________________________ Dean, Foster & Dawley, Boston and Chicago. An interesting assortment of druggists' glassware and druggists' sundries, and general line of bottlers' goods. American Pharmaceutical Association; Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting, Held at Detroit, Mich., September, 1888. (Philadelphia, American Pharmaceutical Association, 1888) _______________________________________________________________________________________ FIRE IN CHICAGO Narrow Escape of Several Girls-Some Injured. Chicago, April 14.-Flames burst forth at nine o'clock this morning from the Leander Read building, 79 to 87 Wabash avenue, occupied by Smith & Patterson, manufacturers of stoves. ranges, etc. the fire spread rapidly and a second alarm was sounded. Before the firemen arrived the building was enveloped in flames and e configuration promised to be disastrous. Less than half an hour after the fire broke out the three upper floors were gutted and the flames threatened to spread to the south end of the structure.....The lower floors were occupied by Dean, Foster & Dawley, Druggists' sundries, etc., and McLean & Retterer, stove suppliers, etc. they are considerably damaged by water as well as by fire..... Atchison Globe April 15, 1885 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Go To North American Soda & Beers Home |