John Munro Longyear, Sr. (April 15, 1850 – May 28, 1922) was an American businessman and noted developer of timber and mineral lands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan[1] who became the central figure behind the Arctic Coal Company, which surveyed and mined coalfields on Spitsbergen, now Svalbard, from 1905 to 1916. This company developed a settlement on Spitsbergen able to accommodate up to around 500 people which became known as Longyear City, now Longyearbyen, adjacent Advent Bay.[2]
Longyear was born in Lansing, Michigan, on April 15, 1850, the son of U.S. Congressman John Wesley Longyear (1820–1875) and Harriet Longyear (née Harriet Munro, 1826–1917).[3] It is unclear how many siblings Longyear had, but it is known that he had two brothers named Howard and James and a sister named Ida.[4][5] Through his mother, Longyear was reportedly the great-great-great grandchild of the Scottish American soldier William Munroe.[6] In young life Longyear suffered various health problems and was prone to exhaustion.[7]
In 1873, when he was 23, Longyear moved to Marquette, Michigan, and for over 20 years established himself as an expert in identifying iron ore properties for mines.[8][9] One of the mines he was involved with in Iron Mountain, Michigan, became one of the largest underground mines in the United States.[8] He was one of the founders, c. 1890, of the Huron Mountain Club near Big Bay, Michigan, and also served as its first president.[9][10] In 1906, he founded the Arctic Coal Company with long-time associate Frederick Ayer and several other small shareholders. Longyear was the main owner of the Arctic Coal Company with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. Longyear had visited Svalbard in 1901, and bought the Trondhjem Spitsbergen Kulkompani in 1906.
Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani started as a consortium of Norwegian investors in 1916. It purchased Arctic Coal Company's and Ayer and Longyear's lands and operations on Spitsbergen in that year. They went on to develop major coal-mining operations in the Advent Valley region and at Sveagruva, originally a Swedish coal-mining operation.
His passport application, dated 1895, describes Longyear, then 45 years old, as 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall with black and grey hair and brownish grey eyes.[11]
Longyear married Mary Beecher Longyear (née Mary Hawley Beecher, 1851-1931) on January 4, 1879, in Battle Creek, Michigan.[12] Mary was a Christian Scientist and a philanthropist, perhaps best known for her involvement in the publication of the first braille version of the KJV Bible.[1] The couple had seven children together: Judith F. Longyear, Robert D. Longyear, Howard M. Longyear, Abby B. Roberts, Helen M. Paul, John B. Longyear, and John M. Longyear, Jr.[13][14][15] Some sources list the Longyears as having only five children but this discrepancy is likely due to that Howard and John died young, Howard M. Longyear at 20 and John B. Longyear as a toddler.[16] For some years, the family was accompanied by a nurse, a young German woman named Angela Nerling, who both lived and traveled with them.[11]
In the early 20th century, Longyear made the decision to move from Michigan, where his family lived in a stone mansion on the shores of Lake Superior, to Massachusetts. His wife Mary was reportedly unsettled by the idea of leaving the family's home and so, Longyear arranged for the home to be dismantled and transported 1,300 miles across the country by railroad to their new hometown and reassembled there in 1903. Longyear lived out the rest of his life in Brookline, Massachusetts.[17] He died at his home there on May 28, 1922.[18]
References
^ abStratton, Robert E. (April 22, 1975). "There Was No Place Like Home for the Longyears". The Milwaukee Journal. Part 1, p. 10. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
^. The Political Graveyard. Archived from the original on December 28, 2009.
^"Index to Politicians: Long-bey to Looker". The Political Graveyard.
^"United States Census, 1860". FamilySearch (Database). 1860. J W Longyear. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
^"Michigan Death Certificates, 1921–1952". FamilySearch (Database). June 2, 1921. Howard Williams Longyear. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
^Michigan State Medical Society; Burr, C. B. (1930). Medical History of Michigan. Minneapolis: Bruce Publishing. LCCN 31011995. Retrieved February 23, 2018 – via Library of Congress.
^Berger, Adam (May 24, 2018). "Into the Wilderness with J.M. Longyear". The Mining Journal. Marquette, Michigan.
^ abc"New National Mining Museum". National Mining Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
^ ab"Longyear, John Munro, 1850-1922 - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
^ ab"United States Passport Applications, 1795–1925". FamilySearch (Database). 1895. John M Longyear in entry for Mary H Longyear. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
^"Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995". FamilySearch (Database). January 4, 1879. John M. Longyear and Mary H. Beacher. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
^Eggers, Leah (April 28, 2014). "Mrs. Mary Beecher Longyear (1851–1931)". Longyear Museum. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^"United States Census, 1900". FamilySearch (Database). John M Longyear, Marquette city Ward 3, Marquette, Michigan, United States. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1953: January-June. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1954. p. 330.
^"Who was Longyear?". Spitsbergen Travel. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^support (May 28, 2013). "The Longyear Story". Longyear Museum. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
^"Was Prominent Mining Man". Barre Daily Times. May 29, 1922. p. 2. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
Further reading
Dole, N. (1922). America in Spitsbergen, The Romance of an Arctic Coal-Mine. Boston: Marshall-Jones Company.
Hartnell, Cameron C. (2009). Arctic Network Builders: the Arctic Coal Company's Operations on Spitsbergen and its Relationship with the Environment (Thesis). Michigan Technological University.
Scenes from Svalbard (former Spitzbergen), including Longyearbyen: Photo essay 4/2014
January 06, 2023
john, munro, longyear, april, 1850, 1922, american, businessman, noted, developer, timber, mineral, lands, upper, peninsula, michigan, became, central, figure, behind, arctic, coal, company, which, surveyed, mined, coalfields, spitsbergen, svalbard, from, 1905. John Munro Longyear Sr April 15 1850 May 28 1922 was an American businessman and noted developer of timber and mineral lands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 1 who became the central figure behind the Arctic Coal Company which surveyed and mined coalfields on Spitsbergen now Svalbard from 1905 to 1916 This company developed a settlement on Spitsbergen able to accommodate up to around 500 people which became known as Longyear City now Longyearbyen adjacent Advent Bay 2 John Munro Longyear Sr Born 1850 04 15 April 15 1850Lansing Michigan U S DiedMay 28 1922 1922 05 28 aged 72 Brookline Massachusetts U S SpouseMary Beecher Longyear m 1879 wbr Children7ParentsJohn W Longyear Harriet MunroSignatureMemorial to John Munro Longyear in Longyearbyen Norway Contents 1 Biography 2 Personal life 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBiography EditLongyear was born in Lansing Michigan on April 15 1850 the son of U S Congressman John Wesley Longyear 1820 1875 and Harriet Longyear nee Harriet Munro 1826 1917 3 It is unclear how many siblings Longyear had but it is known that he had two brothers named Howard and James and a sister named Ida 4 5 Through his mother Longyear was reportedly the great great great grandchild of the Scottish American soldier William Munroe 6 In young life Longyear suffered various health problems and was prone to exhaustion 7 In 1873 when he was 23 Longyear moved to Marquette Michigan and for over 20 years established himself as an expert in identifying iron ore properties for mines 8 9 One of the mines he was involved with in Iron Mountain Michigan became one of the largest underground mines in the United States 8 He was one of the founders c 1890 of the Huron Mountain Club near Big Bay Michigan and also served as its first president 9 10 In 1906 he founded the Arctic Coal Company with long time associate Frederick Ayer and several other small shareholders Longyear was the main owner of the Arctic Coal Company with headquarters in Boston Massachusetts Longyear had visited Svalbard in 1901 and bought the Trondhjem Spitsbergen Kulkompani in 1906 Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani started as a consortium of Norwegian investors in 1916 It purchased Arctic Coal Company s and Ayer and Longyear s lands and operations on Spitsbergen in that year They went on to develop major coal mining operations in the Advent Valley region and at Sveagruva originally a Swedish coal mining operation His passport application dated 1895 describes Longyear then 45 years old as 6 feet 0 inches 1 83 m tall with black and grey hair and brownish grey eyes 11 In 2005 Longyear was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame 8 Longyearbyen Longyear Hall of Pedagogy Longyear Building Longyear Valley and Longyear River are named after him Personal life EditLongyear married Mary Beecher Longyear nee Mary Hawley Beecher 1851 1931 on January 4 1879 in Battle Creek Michigan 12 Mary was a Christian Scientist and a philanthropist perhaps best known for her involvement in the publication of the first braille version of the KJV Bible 1 The couple had seven children together Judith F Longyear Robert D Longyear Howard M Longyear Abby B Roberts Helen M Paul John B Longyear and John M Longyear Jr 13 14 15 Some sources list the Longyears as having only five children but this discrepancy is likely due to that Howard and John died young Howard M Longyear at 20 and John B Longyear as a toddler 16 For some years the family was accompanied by a nurse a young German woman named Angela Nerling who both lived and traveled with them 11 In the early 20th century Longyear made the decision to move from Michigan where his family lived in a stone mansion on the shores of Lake Superior to Massachusetts His wife Mary was reportedly unsettled by the idea of leaving the family s home and so Longyear arranged for the home to be dismantled and transported 1 300 miles across the country by railroad to their new hometown and reassembled there in 1903 Longyear lived out the rest of his life in Brookline Massachusetts 17 He died at his home there on May 28 1922 18 References Edit a b Stratton Robert E April 22 1975 There Was No Place Like Home for the Longyears The Milwaukee Journal Part 1 p 10 Retrieved June 24 2013 Longyear family of New York The Political Graveyard Archived from the original on December 28 2009 Index to Politicians Long bey to Looker The Political Graveyard United States Census 1860 FamilySearch Database 1860 J W Longyear Retrieved December 14 2017 Michigan Death Certificates 1921 1952 FamilySearch Database June 2 1921 Howard Williams Longyear Retrieved December 12 2014 Michigan State Medical Society Burr C B 1930 Medical History of Michigan Minneapolis Bruce Publishing LCCN 31011995 Retrieved February 23 2018 via Library of Congress Berger Adam May 24 2018 Into the Wilderness with J M Longyear The Mining Journal Marquette Michigan a b c New National Mining Museum National Mining Hall of Fame Retrieved December 14 2022 a b Longyear John Munro 1850 1922 Social Networks and Archival Context snaccooperative org Retrieved December 14 2022 Anderson Terry Lee Leal Donald 1997 Enviro Capitalists Doing Good While Doing Well Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield pp 31 33 ISBN 0 8476 8382 6 a b United States Passport Applications 1795 1925 FamilySearch Database 1895 John M Longyear in entry for Mary H Longyear Retrieved October 4 2016 Michigan Marriages 1822 1995 FamilySearch Database January 4 1879 John M Longyear and Mary H Beacher Retrieved February 10 2018 Eggers Leah April 28 2014 Mrs Mary Beecher Longyear 1851 1931 Longyear Museum Retrieved February 23 2018 United States Census 1900 FamilySearch Database John M Longyear Marquette city Ward 3 Marquette Michigan United States Retrieved February 23 2018 Catalog of Copyright Entries Third Series 1953 January June Copyright Office Library of Congress 1954 p 330 Who was Longyear Spitsbergen Travel Retrieved February 23 2018 support May 28 2013 The Longyear Story Longyear Museum Retrieved February 23 2018 Was Prominent Mining Man Barre Daily Times May 29 1922 p 2 Retrieved December 24 2020 via Newspapers com Further reading EditDole N 1922 America in Spitsbergen The Romance of an Arctic Coal Mine Boston Marshall Jones Company Hartnell Cameron C 2009 Arctic Network Builders the Arctic Coal Company s Operations on Spitsbergen and its Relationship with the Environment Thesis Michigan Technological University External links EditWorks by or about John Munro Longyear at Internet Archive About Mary and John Longyear Longyear Museum Scenes from Svalbard former Spitzbergen including Longyearbyen Photo essay 4 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Munro Longyear amp oldid 1130080730, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
