William Lukens Elkins (May 2, 1832 – November 7, 1903) was an American businessman and art collector. He began his working career as a grocer in Philadelphia and became a business tycoon with financial interests in oil, natural gas and transportation. He was one of the first to convert oil to gasoline and became a major shareholder in Standard Oil. He partnered with Peter Widener to found the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company and developed streetcar and railway systems throughout several major cities in the United States. He founded the United Gas Improvement Company and was a member of the board of directors of 24 companies. He was a collector of art and filled his Elkins Estate with over 132 paintings. His estate was valued at $25 million at the time of his death.
Elkins was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, on May 2, 1832. He was the seventh child and youngest son to George Elkins and Susanne (née Howell) Elkins.[1] His father was a pioneer in paper manufacturing in the United States.[2] In 1840, his family returned to Philadelphia and William continued his education in the local schools.[3]
Career
He started his business career working as a clerk at a grocery store in Philadelphia. He entered the lumber business but did not have success. In 1852, he entered the produce business in New York and had modest success. In 1853, he returned to Philadelphia[4] and formed a partnership with Peter Sayboldt to found the produce company Sayboldt & Elkins.[1] By 1860, Elkins bought out his partner and built the produce operation into the largest store of its kind in the United States.[5]
Elkins recognized the potential for the usages of oil being pumped from the oilfields of Northwestern Pennsylvania and became a pioneer in the refining of crude oil. In Philadelphia he founded Monument Oil Works that built a primitive oil refinery which he constantly modernized and expanded into other locations.[1] His company was one of the first to make gasoline and was involved in the production of asphalt. His refining business grew until he was producing 20,000 barrels of gasoline a month.[4] In 1875, Elkins entered into a partnership with Standard Oil. He became a significant shareholder in the company but sold his interests in 1881.[6]
In 1873, William Elkins met Peter Widener and the two became trusted friends. Together they started the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company,[7] a streetcar and railway business. Elkins and Widener expanded their streetcar enterprise to major cities across the United States including New York, Chicago, Baltimore, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.[8][9] Elkins founded the United Gas Improvement Company which implemented gas works in Philadelphia and 60 U.S. cities.[10] He was a member of the board of directors of 24 companies.[11] Elkins held sizeable financial positions in American Tobacco Company and International Mercantile Marine Co.[5]
Elkins was also involved in real estate and partnered with Widener to purchase large tracts of land in North Philadelphia and build several thousand houses for sale.[1]
He served on the Philadelphia City Council for one year in 1876 and served as aide-de-camp with the rank of colonel to Governor John F. Hartranft. He served as commissioner to represent Philadelphia at the International Expositions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1900.[1]
Elkins was an art collector and instituted a $5,000 prize for "the most meritorious" painting exhibited by an American artist at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 1900, he published a catalogue of his personal art collections which contained 132 paintings.[1]
Personal life
In 1858, William Elkins married Maria Louise Broomall, with whom he had two daughters and two sons:[14]
Ida Ameila Elkins (1859–1904), who married Sidney Frederick Tyler (1850–1935), bearing no children.
George W. Elkins (1858–1919), who married Stella McIntire (1861–1913) and had four children. After her death, he married Allethaire Chase Ludlow (1880–1977).
William L. Elkins, Jr. (1863–1902), who married Kate Felton, the daughter of Charles N. Felton, United States Congressman and Senator from California.[15]
William Elkins died at his summer home, at age seventy-one on November 7, 1903, in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.[1] He left behind an estate valued at $25 million.[11] Among his philanthropic gifts, William Elkins left $240,000 to the Masonic Home for Girls in Philadelphia. He bequeathed his art collection to the city to be given following the death of his last heir.[16]
Descendants
Through his son George, he was the grandfather of four grandchildren. They included Stella Elkins (1884–1963), who married George F. Tyler and founded the Stella Elkins Tyler School of Art.[7] Another granddaughter, Louise Elkins (1890–1977), married Wharton Sinkler. A grandson, William McIntire Elkins (1882–1947), was a book collector whose collection of early Americana is held at the Free Library of Philadelphia.[17] Through his son William, he was the grandfather of two grandchildren: Felton Broomall Elkins (1889–1944), a playwright and artist, and Marie Louise Broomall Elkins (1892–1961), who married three times and was a Broadway producer.[18]
Citations
^ abcdefgJordan, John W. (1914). Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 455–458. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
^Hall, Henry (1896). America's Successful Men of Affairs - An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography. The New York Tribune. pp. 277–280. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
^ abMorris, Charles (1896). Men of the Century, an Historical Work Giving Portraits and Sketches of Eminent Citizens of the United States. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly & Co. p. 116. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
^ abc"William L. Elkins Dead". The New York Times. Philadelphia. November 8, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abHoman, Spencer (January 26, 2017). "KNOW YOUR HISTORY: How Philly's 19th Century Elite Helped Bring the Tyler School of Art to Be". www.spiritnews.org. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Burnley, James (1901). Millionaires and Kings of Enterprise. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. pp. 247–250. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"Chicago Roads Change Hands". The New York Times. Chicago. May 6, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^The Successful American, Volume 7. Press Biographical Company. February 1903. p. 719. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^ abGeiger, Roger L. (2017). Philadelphia Gentlemen: The Making of a National Upper Class. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN9781351499897. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
^Catherine, Kris. "Inside the Empty, Gilded Halls of Elkins Estate". www.hiddencityphila.org. Hidden City. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^Scott, Donald. "The great business tycoons of Montgomery County's past". www.montgomerynews.com. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^New York Times - November 15, 1903 article titled "Will of William L. Elkins"
^Shaffer, Ellen, and Howell J. Heaney. Portrait of a Philadelphia Collector: William Mcintire Elkins (1882-1947). Philadelphia: Free Library of Philadelphia, 1956.
^"Marie Louise Elkins". IBDB Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
Sources
Leach, Josiah Granville (1898). Genealogical and Biographical Memorial of the Reading, Howell, Yerkes, Watts, Latham, and Elkins Families. J.B. Lippincott Company.
January 07, 2023
william, lukens, elkins, 1832, november, 1903, american, businessman, collector, began, working, career, grocer, philadelphia, became, business, tycoon, with, financial, interests, natural, transportation, first, convert, gasoline, became, major, shareholder, . William Lukens Elkins May 2 1832 November 7 1903 was an American businessman and art collector He began his working career as a grocer in Philadelphia and became a business tycoon with financial interests in oil natural gas and transportation He was one of the first to convert oil to gasoline and became a major shareholder in Standard Oil He partnered with Peter Widener to found the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company and developed streetcar and railway systems throughout several major cities in the United States He founded the United Gas Improvement Company and was a member of the board of directors of 24 companies He was a collector of art and filled his Elkins Estate with over 132 paintings His estate was valued at 25 million at the time of his death William Lukens ElkinsWilliam Lukens Elkins 1899Born 1832 05 02 May 2 1832Wheeling West Virginia USDiedNovember 7 1903 1903 11 07 aged 71 Elkins Estate Elkins Park Pennsylvania USResting placeLaurel Hill CemeteryOccupation s Businessman investor art collectorBoard member ofPhiladelphia Rapid Transit Co Pennsylvania Railroad Co United Gas Improvement Co Metropolitan Street Railway Co of New York Commercial Trust Company Land Title amp Trust Co American Surety Company of New York International Navigation Co Philadelphia amp Erie Co Consolidated Traction Company of New Jersey Edison Electric Light Co Pennsylvania Globe Gas Light Co Consolidated Traction Company of Pittsburgh Continental Tobacco Company Philadelphia Electric Co Electric Company of America Virginia amp Charleston Railway Co American Air Power Co Electric Storage Battery Co New England Gas amp Coke Co Asphalt Company of AmericaSpouseMaria Louise BroomallChildren4Signature Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Elkins estate 4 Personal life 4 1 Descendants 5 Citations 6 SourcesEarly life EditElkins was born in Wheeling West Virginia on May 2 1832 He was the seventh child and youngest son to George Elkins and Susanne nee Howell Elkins 1 His father was a pioneer in paper manufacturing in the United States 2 In 1840 his family returned to Philadelphia and William continued his education in the local schools 3 Career EditHe started his business career working as a clerk at a grocery store in Philadelphia He entered the lumber business but did not have success In 1852 he entered the produce business in New York and had modest success In 1853 he returned to Philadelphia 4 and formed a partnership with Peter Sayboldt to found the produce company Sayboldt amp Elkins 1 By 1860 Elkins bought out his partner and built the produce operation into the largest store of its kind in the United States 5 Elkins recognized the potential for the usages of oil being pumped from the oilfields of Northwestern Pennsylvania and became a pioneer in the refining of crude oil In Philadelphia he founded Monument Oil Works that built a primitive oil refinery which he constantly modernized and expanded into other locations 1 His company was one of the first to make gasoline and was involved in the production of asphalt His refining business grew until he was producing 20 000 barrels of gasoline a month 4 In 1875 Elkins entered into a partnership with Standard Oil He became a significant shareholder in the company but sold his interests in 1881 6 In 1873 William Elkins met Peter Widener and the two became trusted friends Together they started the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company 7 a streetcar and railway business Elkins and Widener expanded their streetcar enterprise to major cities across the United States including New York Chicago Baltimore St Louis Cincinnati and Pittsburgh 8 9 Elkins founded the United Gas Improvement Company which implemented gas works in Philadelphia and 60 U S cities 10 He was a member of the board of directors of 24 companies 11 Elkins held sizeable financial positions in American Tobacco Company and International Mercantile Marine Co 5 Elkins was also involved in real estate and partnered with Widener to purchase large tracts of land in North Philadelphia and build several thousand houses for sale 1 He served on the Philadelphia City Council for one year in 1876 and served as aide de camp with the rank of colonel to Governor John F Hartranft He served as commissioner to represent Philadelphia at the International Expositions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1900 1 Elkins estate Edit Elstowe Manor In 1898 Elkins built a grand 45 room mansion named Elstowe Manor for himself and a mansion named Chelten House for his son on the 42 acre Elkins Estate in Elkins Park Pennsylvania 12 Both mansions were designed by Horace Trumbauer 13 Elkins was an art collector and instituted a 5 000 prize for the most meritorious painting exhibited by an American artist at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts In 1900 he published a catalogue of his personal art collections which contained 132 paintings 1 Personal life EditIn 1858 William Elkins married Maria Louise Broomall with whom he had two daughters and two sons 14 Ida Ameila Elkins 1859 1904 who married Sidney Frederick Tyler 1850 1935 bearing no children Eleanor Elkins 1861 1937 who married George Dunton Widener with whom she had three children and lost her husband and elder son Harry in the April 15 1912 sinking of RMS Titanic 5 George W Elkins 1858 1919 who married Stella McIntire 1861 1913 and had four children After her death he married Allethaire Chase Ludlow 1880 1977 William L Elkins Jr 1863 1902 who married Kate Felton the daughter of Charles N Felton United States Congressman and Senator from California 15 William L Elkins Mausoleum in Laurel Hill Cemetery William Elkins died at his summer home at age seventy one on November 7 1903 in Elkins Park Pennsylvania He was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia 1 He left behind an estate valued at 25 million 11 Among his philanthropic gifts William Elkins left 240 000 to the Masonic Home for Girls in Philadelphia He bequeathed his art collection to the city to be given following the death of his last heir 16 Descendants Edit Through his son George he was the grandfather of four grandchildren They included Stella Elkins 1884 1963 who married George F Tyler and founded the Stella Elkins Tyler School of Art 7 Another granddaughter Louise Elkins 1890 1977 married Wharton Sinkler A grandson William McIntire Elkins 1882 1947 was a book collector whose collection of early Americana is held at the Free Library of Philadelphia 17 Through his son William he was the grandfather of two grandchildren Felton Broomall Elkins 1889 1944 a playwright and artist and Marie Louise Broomall Elkins 1892 1961 who married three times and was a Broadway producer 18 Citations Edit a b c d e f g Jordan John W 1914 Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography New York Lewis Historical Publishing Company pp 455 458 Retrieved August 14 2021 Hall Henry 1896 America s Successful Men of Affairs An Encyclopedia of Contemporaneous Biography The New York Tribune pp 277 280 Retrieved August 14 2021 Leach 1898 p 255 a b Morris Charles 1896 Men of the Century an Historical Work Giving Portraits and Sketches of Eminent Citizens of the United States Philadelphia L R Hamersly amp Co p 116 Retrieved August 14 2021 a b c William L Elkins Dead The New York Times Philadelphia November 8 1903 p 1 Retrieved December 6 2021 via Newspapers com Leach 1898 p 256 a b Homan Spencer January 26 2017 KNOW YOUR HISTORY How Philly s 19th Century Elite Helped Bring the Tyler School of Art to Be www spiritnews org Retrieved August 13 2021 Burnley James 1901 Millionaires and Kings of Enterprise Philadelphia J B Lippincott Company pp 247 250 Retrieved August 13 2021 Chicago Roads Change Hands The New York Times Chicago May 6 1899 p 1 Retrieved December 6 2021 via Newspapers com The Successful American Volume 7 Press Biographical Company February 1903 p 719 Retrieved August 13 2021 a b Geiger Roger L 2017 Philadelphia Gentlemen The Making of a National Upper Class Routledge p 143 ISBN 9781351499897 Retrieved August 14 2021 Catherine Kris Inside the Empty Gilded Halls of Elkins Estate www hiddencityphila org Hidden City Retrieved August 13 2021 Scott Donald The great business tycoons of Montgomery County s past www montgomerynews com Retrieved August 13 2021 Leach 1898 p 258 Leach 1898 p 260 New York Times November 15 1903 article titled Will of William L Elkins Shaffer Ellen and Howell J Heaney Portrait of a Philadelphia Collector William Mcintire Elkins 1882 1947 Philadelphia Free Library of Philadelphia 1956 Marie Louise Elkins IBDB Internet Broadway Database Retrieved September 18 2020 Sources EditLeach Josiah Granville 1898 Genealogical and Biographical Memorial of the Reading Howell Yerkes Watts Latham and Elkins Families J B Lippincott Company Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Lukens Elkins amp oldid 1124030867, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
