Cleveland Past and Present: Its Representative Men: Comprising Biographical Sketches of Pioneer Settlers and Prominent Citizens
History
Cleveland Past and Present: Its Representative Men: Comprising Biographical Sketches of Pioneer Settlers and Prominent Citizens
Cleveland (Ohio) -- Biography; Cleveland (Ohio) -- History
In 1819, Dudley Baldwin came to Cleveland from Ballston, New York, having
as his principal capital a fair common school education. In course of time
be found employment in the mercantile store of Mr. Weddell, and became one
of his trusted clerks, being, after a few years, taken into partnership.
The death of Mr. Weddell in 1847, terminated a connection that had existed
pleasantly for over twenty years.
For the next few years Mr. Baldwin was chiefly engaged in closing up the
affairs of Mr. Weddell, after which he engaged for a time in the
manufacture of agricultural implements, until, from ill heath, he was
compelled to relinquish business and seek restoration of health by travel
and in quiet retirement.
Mr. Baldwin was identified with the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad from
its inception, and during the darkest days of the undertaking he stood
firmly by it, in connection with the other directors, never losing faith
in its ultimate success--a success he has lived to see perfected. He has
also, for a number of years, been a director of the Commercial Bank of
Cleveland.
In religious principles Mr. Baldwin is a Presbyterian, and has long
been connected with the Euclid street Presbyterian Church. He is known
to all his acquaintances as a man of quiet unassuming manners, and of
sterling worth.
Norman C. Baldwin.
Very many of those who settled on the Western Reserve, in the early days
of its history, came from Connecticut, and the fact of so many Connecticut
families being already here induced considerable emigration from that
State long after the first rush was over. Among others of Connecticut
birth who found their way eventually to Cleveland, was Norman C. Baldwin,
born at Litchfield, July 29th, 1802, and spending his early years in the
struggles which so many of the New England families of limited resources
had to pass through in the early portion of the present century.
Whilst yet but a mere child he assisted his father in the work of the
farm, but being left fatherless at the age of eight, he was sent two years
afterwards to work in his cousin's store, where he remained four years. In
his fourteenth year he left Litchfield for New Haven, where he found
employment for a year with a provision packer.
At that time his mother joined the stream of emigration setting towards
the Ohio, and with her came her children. Stopping at Hudson, Summit
county, young Baldwin commenced trading on his own account, and built up
a good business, which he managed alone for eighteen months and then
formed a partnership with two of his brothers, the partnership lasting
eight years. Then the firm was dissolved and Norman C. came to
Cleveland, where he formed a partnership with Noble H. Merwin in the
general produce business.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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