Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
On Sept. 12, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited two theaters in York, Yorkshire, England. Today’s post is about our first stop and tour at the Grand Opera House York. Hume had arranged a tour with Technical and Buildings Manager, Joe Strange (pictured below).
Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Mike Hume, Joe Strange, and Rick Boychuk at the Grand Opera House York.
For geographical context, York is located north of London, at the confluence where the Foss and Ouse Rivers. Founded in 71 AD when Roman General Quintus Petillius Cerialis and the Ninth Legion constructed a military fortress. Roman origins remain quite visible throughout the city, forming the basis for later medieval structures.
Our walk to the Grand Opera House and Theatre Royal provided a wonderful opportunity to explore York. On a grey damp day, we passed by “The Shambles” (a medieval street), Sir Thomas Herbert’s House (Tudor), the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Saint Peter (York Minster), and the Assembly Rooms.
Walking through the Shambles section of York.
Sir Thomas Herbert’s House.
York Minster.
Another view of York Minster.
The Assembly Rooms. The building was erected by public subscription 1730-1736 to the design of Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington.
The theater emerged from a previous building, dating from 1868. It was architect John P. Briggs who drew plans that converted a corn exchange and warehouse to a performance space. This 1902 venue recently underwent a major refurbishment.
Hume arranged a tour with Joe Strange, Technical and Building Manager of the Grand Opera House York.
Stage door and loading doors, Grand Opera House York.Joe is in the red shirt waiting at the stage door.
The exterior of the building still boasts tall doors; doors that provided necessary access for touring wings and other large flats. Here are several photos from our tour
A view of the auditorium from the stage.
Metal safety curtain at the Grand Opera House York.
Detail of safety curtain.
Backside of the safety curtain.
Ben Hur mural above the proscenium.
The Ben Hur mural above the proscenium arch.
Detail of the mural.
Detail of the mural.
Joe Strange in theupper gallery at the Grand Opera House York.
Auditorium Grand Opera House York.View of the opera boxes.
Opera Box detail.
More ornamental decor.
View of the stage and auditorium.
Looking up at the gridiron.
Rick Boychuk and Joe Strange discussing the grid.
The grid.
The grid.
The Fly floor looking upstage.
The fly floor.
This may be the most cozy fly floor that I have encountered to date.
My favorite backstage sign…“make it epic…”
The bridge (upstage/exterior wall). View from stage left.
I greatly appreciate the time that Joe spent giving us a tour of the building and sharing the history of this beautiful theater.
On Sept. 10, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, and I visited the Drury Lane Theatre.
Hume had scheduled a backstage tour with Michael “Biglad” Burgess-Shaw Head of Stage, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The tour was remarkable, both entertaining and informative as we explored the extensive the backstage area.
Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Biglad, and Mike Hume backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
A view from above the stage.
Although everything was fascinating, my favorite part of the backstage tour was visiting the old paint studio. There is so much history spattered on the paint frames, walls, and floor. I have traced the careers of so many scenic artists who worked here. There is nothing quite like standing in the same spot where so many scenic artists, brush in hand, stood for decades.
The paint shop with four paint frames (two in the center).
Paint frame detail.
Paint frame detail, looking up toward skylights.
Next to the paint shop was the scenery storage area; now the main office. Old drops (from a touring production of Oklahoma) now decorated only one wall, now the sole legacy of a space that once housed so many more.
Photograph by Mike Hume.
Drops from a touring production of “Oklahoma” now decorate one wall.
Biglad, Grit, Rick, Wendy and Mike at Drury Lane.
We returned to the theater on September 11 for a front-of-house tour. Mark Fox showed us the rest of the building. We couldn’t have had a better tour guide. Fox is an amazing theatre historian, archivist and advertising manager for LW Theatres. Fox even wrote the book Theatre Royal Drury.
Wendy Waszut-Barrett. Mark Fox, Rick Boychuk and Mike Hume.
The Auditorium.
The Royal Box.
View from the Royal Box.
View from the balcony.
The tour wonderful! Mark’s passion about the building is evident, and he is full of fascinating information about the theater’s history, renovations, and decor.
Print of the auditorium.
Print of the rotunda and principle staircases.
The rotunda.
Looking across the rotunda.
Section of a main staircases.
Main staircase.
View from the exterior balcony.
View of the same balcony from the street.
Here are a few more pictures of highlights from our visit.
One of my favorite paintings – Fortunes by G. D. Leslie, RA. It was for the Royal Jubilee, 1887 Exposition. It is now on display in room behind the Royal Box.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
The second painting in the same room of June (actress, singer, dancer) by Herbert Draper.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painting by Seymour Lucas, Study of a New Act Curtain, 1911.
On Sept. 8, 2023, I boarded a plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for London, England. Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I were presenting papers at the Tyne Opera House and Theatre Conference: Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle, scheduled for Sept. 13-15.
We planned our itinerary to include a few historic theater stops, both before and after the conference. When all was said and done, we visited fifteen theaters over the course of ten days.
In London, the Globe Theatre was our first stop on the morning of September 10.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, and Rick Boychuk at the Globe Theatre, London, England.
The Globe Theatre, London.
Painted details at the Globe Theatre.
Painted details on the Globe Theatre stage.
More painted details.
The Globe Theatre stage.
The stage ceiling at the Globe Theatre.
Arriving a few days before the conference also gave me a chance to meet London-based scenic artist, Grit Eckert. Eckert and I virtually met in 2018. We both share a passion for historic scenic art and had been corresponding about people and processes for a few years. In addition to finally getting to meet Eckert in person, she was also presenting a paper at the conference. In fact, I was the chair of her panel on Sept. 15; a panel composed of Eckert, Jim Davis (Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick), and John Plunkett (Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Exeter).
Eckert is a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol. She started her professional life as a scenic artist in the workshops of a regional theatre in Germany. She moved to England to study Scenic Arts, and over the past two decades has examined scene painting practices from various different angles. Eckert both works as a scene painter and instructor. Like me, Eckert is fascinated with the history of the trade and those scenic artists who came before us.
Later in the day, we went backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Hume had arranged a private tour with Michael Biglad Burgess-Shaw, Head of Stage. With a little time to spare, we wandered around a bit, visiting the Tate Modern, peering into the paint shop windows at the National Theatre, passing through the central courtyard of Somerset House, wandering into the Savoy, and strolling by the Vaudeville, Adelphi, Coliseum, and Garrick Theaters. After all, it is the Theatre District. We made our way back to Drury Lane, and eagerly waited to meet Biglad at the stage door.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Grit Eckert and Rick Boychuk.
You may have noticed that it has been a while since my last blog post.
I was bombarded with a series of projects this summer. When I wasn’t on the road, my life consisted of scenic design, scenic art, restoration, paperwork, and caretaking (people, places, and things). My theme for 2023 continues to be “Damage Control.” If only each day could last more than 24 hours….
August and September became especially busy as my out-of-town trips included: CITT/ICTS (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; The Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion in Rollag, Minnesota; the Tyne Theatre & Opera House Conference in England; and Haymarket Opera Company’s fall production in Chicago, Illinois.
All of this travel could not have been possible without the support of my husband, Andrew Barrett, and children, Aaron Barrett, Isa Marceau, and Anna Marceau. In the midst of everything, Andrew and I celebrated 30 years of marriage on Sept. 11. Sadly, our celebration occurred 4,000 miles apart.
I finally have a moment to share a presentation from two weeks ago. My presentation was for the Tyne Theatre & Opera House Conference: Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle.
[Dr. Wendy Waszut-Barrett presenting Stage Craft & Spectacle: Immigrant Contributions to North American Theatre at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House conference on Sept. 15, 2023].
I have a “window of opportunity” to write today; one that stems from opening night of La liberazione di Ruggero dall-isola a’Alcina; all of my stage notes are done! Here is a link to the show: http://www.haymarketopera.org/caccini
I sit in a hotel room, extremely grateful for not only an exceptional group of colleagues, but also an extraordinary network of support; one that has never faltered over the years.
My journey to the UK began last fall when I opened an email from Mike Hume. Hume is an amazing theatre photographer and historian. His website showcases theaters from around the world. Here is his website: https://www.historictheatrephotos.com/
On Oct. 5, 2022, Rick Boychuk and I received an email from Hume proposing that we submit a presentation proposal for an upcoming theatre conference. He attached the following call for papers:
For context, Boychuk specializes in historic rigging systems and is the author of Nobody Looks Up: The History of Counterweight rigging History, 1500-1925.
In Hume’s October email, he described the Tyne Theatre and Opera House: “It’s one of the few UK theatres with early-stage machinery, albeit much of it rebuilt following a devastating fire in the stagehouse in 1985. The stage machinery at the Tyne Theatre is really very comprehensive. David Wilmore led the reconstruction project and is continuing with further projects at the theatre.” I first met David Wilmore in Stockholm at another conference in 2016. We managed to stay in touch over the years.
In mid-November 2023, Hume, Boychuk, and I scheduled a virtual meeting with Alan Butland, Trustee and Secretary at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House Preservation Trust. We wanted to see if there would be any interest in topics that examined stage technology and painted spectacle beyond Britain. In the end, we submitted a joint proposal for three topics under the heading “The Development of North American Stagecraft and Spectacle During the Victorian Period.”
Boychuk’s paper explored Booth’s Theatre in New York, Mike’s paper explored the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, and my paper provided context for both, each built during a time when the demand for painted illusion was greater than the supply of manufacturers.
We received a response to our proposals almost three months later. On Feb. 17, 2023, Mike emailed, “Pack your bags, folks, we’re going to Newcastle!”
Locations of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England
As we looked at tentative travel dates, our discussion began to include other historic venue; nearby opera houses that would be of interest. When all was said and done, we visited a total of fifteen theaters between Sept. 10 and Sept. 19, 2023. In the upcoming weeks, I will post a series of blogs about our stops in London, York, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Bristol, and Bath.
We presented our papers on September 15, 2023. The chair for our panel was Iain Mackintosh.
Here is my full paper with PowerPoint images. It includes all of the original text, as some sentences were cut to stay within the 20-min. time limit.
Stage Craft & Spectacle: Immigrant Contributions to North American Theatre by Dr. Wendy Waszut-Barrett for the Tyne Theatre and Opera House conference.
[Slide 1]
I am going to “set the stage” for stage craft and painted spectacle between 1860 and 1890 in North America, touching on four major contributing factors – the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Great Chicago Fire, and Immigration. Then, I will then explore the dissemination of two scenic art traditions, introduced by immigrants during the rise of the North American scenic studio system. These traditions merged to create a hybrid form of scenic art in North America that dominated popular entertainment for decades.
[Slide 2]
The discovery of gold in the American River during the winter of 1848 prompted what is now known as the California Gold rush of 1849, an event that drew people from all over the world. Exorbitant salaries were offered to theatre professionals, those willing to brave the journey and perform in very rough settings. Even the young scenic artist Phillip Goatcher left Sydney for San Francisco (invitation by Henry E. Abby of the Park Theater), and assisted William Porter. It was a series of gold strikes that fueled a national desire to complete the first transcontinental railroad, uniting east and west coasts.
[Slide 3]
The transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with the final golden spike driven at Promontory Summit in Utah.
[Slide 4]
The arduous cross-country from New York to San Francisco was reduced to 7 days by 1870. Thousands of communities were now connected, with Chicago centrally located and situated along the western shore of Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes in a freshwater chain that connected the interior of North America to the Atlantic ocean.
[Slide 5]
A variety of entertainment venues were constructed in the railway’s wake, including the Tabor Opera House. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the mining town of Leadville, Colorado was approximately 3050 meters above sea-level. Horace Tabor, nationally known as the “Silver King,” constructed his flagship opera house in 1879, only a month before the railway arrived in town. Ample land, abundant funds, and an ever-expanding network of transportation offered seemingly endless opportunities for theater manufacturers and suppliers. Demand for painted front curtains, stock scenery collections, stage machinery and lighting systems outweighed the supply of craftsmen to manufacture them. An abundance of work with high profits drew people from across the country and around the world.
[Slide 6]
Hundreds of theaters were now connected by rail, prompting Chicago Illustrator and printer, John B. Jeffrey, to publish his first guide and directory to operas houses, theaters, and public halls across the country in 1878. Jeffrey provided practical information for touring groups with detailed information about stage houses, writing: “We realized the necessity for a book which would be a guide to agents and managers of all amusement enterprises.”
Jeffrey’s preface stated:
“Since 1860, the Amusement Professions have shared in the extraordinary developments visible in every material interest…Intellectual foreigners have been astounded at the rapidity with which a vast wilderness has been transformed into a Nation thickly dotted with centers of industry, commerce, and art…The full extent of this marvelous progress has not been recognized generally as it deserved…The American Stage ranks in importance with that of England and France…”
Jno. B. Jeffrey’s Guide and Directory was one of many innovations to come out of Chicago during the 1870s. At the time Chicago was in the process of rebuilding itself, reconstructing the downtown area after the Great Fire.
[Slide 7]
In 1871, disaster struck when fire ravaged 8.55 km2 of the downtown area, destroying 17,500 buildings and displacing 100,000 residents.
[Slide 8]
Two decades later the City later hosted the 1893 World Fair. In addition to recognizing the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival, the Columbian Exposition showed the world that Chicago has risen from the ashes victorious.
[Slide 9]
The rebuilding of the Chicago drew hundreds of thousands of tradesmen to the Midwest. 10,000 building permits were issued between 1872 to 1879. Chicago quickly became an American Hub of Economic and Industrial Innovation.
[Slide 10]
The rebuilding of Chicago coincided with shifts in immigration. There were three waves of immigration during the 19th century. The first wave primarily consisted of people England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Europe. The second wave included an increased number of people from western and central Europe. The third wave lasted from the end of the 19th century into the early 20th century, and mainly consisted of people from Eastern Europe and Russia. With access to western lands and opportunities, immigrants arrived in Chicago by droves.
[Slide 11]
The distribution of immigrants also radically changed as the country’s transportation network shifted to include railroads.
[Slide 12]
There was a demographic shift by the mid 19th-century from an earlier immigration wave primarily composed of those from the British Isles and northern Europe to western and central Europe by the mid-19th-century. This shift, occurred as the railroad network exponentially increased, distributing new groups of immigrants into the interior of North America.
[Slide 13]
By the mid-nineteenth century there was a dramatic increase in German immigrants. An 1874 Harper’s Weekly illustration featured Germans boarding a steamer for the United States. German emigration peaked between 1881 and 1885, when a million Germans arrived, many settling in the Midwestern United States.
[Slide 14]
Even today, we can trace the second wave German immigrants through the lives of their descendants. Here is a 2010 tracing the largest ancestry by county in the United States. There remains a large red swath that cuts across the country, known as the German Belt.
[Slide 15]
By 1890, 80% of all Chicago’s citizens were either foreign born or children of immigrants. From a Theatre History perspective, this made Chicago a melting pot of stage craft.
[Slide 16]
Two distinct scene painting traditions dominated the production of painted illusion in Chicago at this time – The English method of transparent glazing (left-side image) and the Continental Method of opaque washes (right-side image).
[Slide 17]
On the left, is an example of the English Method; a painted detail by William Thompson Russell Smith (1812-1896) for the Thalian Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1858. This was the stylistic approach employed by many scenic artists in eastern theaters, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and along the eastern seaboard.
On the right, is an example of the Continental Method; a painted detail by James E. Lamphere for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, in 1879. Note that the shape in the left image is defined by a successive layer of dark glazes, while the image on the left uses light on dark to define the shape.
[Slide 18]
These two “schools of scenic art” – translucent glazes and opaque washes – were publicly argued for, and against, in nineteenth-century newspapers and periodicals. In 1881, the British periodical, The Building News and Engineering Journal, published an article entitled “Secrets of the Scene Painter.” It simply stated, “The English school in which the greatest advances have been made, use thin glazes” and “The German, French and Americans use opaque washes, or, as it is usually expressed work in “body colour.” This 1881 article suggests that the adoption of the Continental method by many American scenic artists had already taken place by this time. In 1889, another article published in The Theatre Magazine (W. J. Lawrence, July 13, 1889) lamented the loss of the English tradition, “the days of glazing and second painting are gone forever. What matters is that the adoption of the broadest system of treatment possible – working slapdash fashion in full body colors.” In 1891, the San Francisco Call “English scenic artists as a class possess a breadth and freedom of style that are unequaled by those of any other nationality. These qualities, which are the highest excellences in scene painting, are especially noticeable in their landscapes, which are simply unapproachable, possessing, as they do at once a beauty, a realism and a fidelity to nature which we look for in vain in the work of the scenic artists of any other land” (A. Palmer, Feb 22, 1891).
[Slide 19]
Interestingly, the English tradition of frame painting remained the preferred method in the United States until the 1920s. Here is an illustration of American scenic artists for Harper’s Weekly in 1878; this was the first year that he started working for the publication. At the time, Graham was a well-known in Chicago as a scenic artist. He was later named the official artist for Chicago’s 1893 World Fair.
[Slide 20]
Here are two examples that illustrate the differences between the English method of painting on a vertical frame and the Continental method of painting on the floor. The Nineteenth-century American scenic artists favored the use of vertical frames. Much had to do with the design of the theaters allowing scenic artists to only access their work from the stage, there was simply not enough floor space, even after scenic studios built their own structures. The scenic artists worked on fixed or movable bridges above the stage.
[Slide 21]
I always include images of women painting in my presentations, as they were often left of the history books. As with people of color, they were present, just not counted. The left image shows Grace Wishaar painting in America, ca. 1902. The right image is from the 1927 publication The Continental Method of Scene Painting.
[Slide 22]
It is important to understand that both floor and frame painting necessitated a It is important to understand that both floor and frame painting necessitated a different approach. Although both used distemper paint and similar brushes, each approach determined the economy of brushwork. Here is an example of floor painting in the Continental Method, featuring French scenographer Auguste Rubè (1815-1899).
[Slide 23]
Here is an example of the English Method featuring American scenic artist Thomas Gibbs Moses (1856-1934). I paint both up and down, recognizing that each tradition has its strengths. That being said, as an aging artist, I recognize that I will be able to paint on a frame far longer than I will be able to paint on the floor.
[Slide 24]
Distemper paint was the traditional artistic medium for the stage, solely consisting of only two ingredients: pure color (dry pigment) and binder (diluted hide glue).
[Slide 25]
Dry pigment powder was transformed into wet pulp prior to mixing it with a binder.
[Slide 26]
Hide glue requires cooking and is diluted with water to create size. Strong size was applied to the fabric, preparing the fibers for paint. Strong size was further diluted to create working size, also known as size water, for the distemper painting process.
[Slide 27]
Here is an example of an American scenic artist’s palette, filled with bowls of pigment paste. The paste and size water were mixed together on the artist’s palette, then immediately applied to the fabric. This remained the standard methodology for North American scenic art until the mid-twentieth century.
[Slide 28]
The scenic artist had to intimately know each color, as the wet paint applied to a backdrop would dry several shades lighter. In a sense, the artist worked solely from memory. Here is an example of wet distemper paint placed next to the same color once dried.
[Slide 29]
A strategic combination of colors applied by a skilled hand resulted in stunning compositions, that transported generations of theatre audiences to distant locations. Distemper paint is quite different from the pre-mixed paints used by Contemporary scenic artists as it fully permeates each underlying later; there is not a continued build-up with each successive layer paint.
[Slide 30]
Very little pigment is needed for the distemper painting process. This means that many distemper backdrops could function as translucencies. The image on the right is the same urn viewed from the backside of the drop. The original paint layer was quite thin, creating opportunities for backlighting. This also means that distemper scenes could be easily folded and packed in touring trunks.
[Slide 31]
Here is a detail from a distemper drop that I painted for the Haymarkt Opera Co. for L’amant anonyme (Chicago, 2022). When lit from behind, an entirely new range of colors is revealed, affecting the atmosphere of the scene without the necessity of colored lights.
[Slide 32]
To date, have written hundreds of biographies about American scenic artists, tracing their lineage to various countries. For today’s presentation, I am briefly going to touch on Harley Merry who painted in the English tradition in New York.
[Slide 33]
Harley Merry was the stage name for Ebenezer Brittain (1844-1914). Brittain began his theatrical career as both an actor and scenic artist. He worked in the theaters of London, Norfolk, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. It is relatively easy to trace his early career in newspapers from the time. In 1864, he married Louisa Maria Raven Rowe (1843-1915), who went by the stage name Adelaide Russell or Roselle.
[Slide 34]
After emigrating in 1869, the Merry’s worked all over the country, with Harley Merry painting scenery for theaters in New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.
[Slide 35]
Merry permanently settled in New York, where he operated an extremely successful studio until his passing in 1914. He was also a major influence in amusement park attractions, especially those on Coney Island in New York, as well as producing scenery for early Edison films. He was extremely influential in the development of American Theatre from both a performance and production perspective.
[Slide 36]
In America, Merry helped establish the Actor’s Order of friendship, joining Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett in 1888 to lobby congress against the importation of foreign productions.
[Slide 37]
He was also instrumental in the establishment of the American Society of Scene Painters in 1892. It was organized in Albany, New York, with the executive staff including Richard Marston (Palmer’s Theatre), Henry E, Hoyt (Metropolitan Opera House), Homer F. Emens (Fourteenth Street Theatre), Sydney Chidley (Union Square Theatre), Harley Merry (Brooklyn Studio) Brooklyn and Ernest Albert (Albert, Grover & Burridge). This group truly represents the English Tradition in American scenic art.
Three years later, the American Society of Scene Painters gave rise to the Protective Alliance of Scene Painters of America. In 1895, Merry was elected the organization’s first president and members included scenic artists from all over the country, representing both the English and Continental traditions. In short, it prevented stage employees from handling any scenery except that painted by members of the Alliance, stirring up excitement among English managers.
In 1896 when members gathered in their lodge rooms to install officers, the following statement was recorded: “If George Edwards brings a shipload of scenery from England to America, he will not be able to get a scene shifter or carpenter in New York to handle it, and the orchestra will not even play slow music. For that matter, no piece of scenery painted by a non-union man will be handled in any of the large cities in this country. We have to protect ourselves against the hordes of fresco men who dabble for a farthing, and some of the managers who care nothing for the art, but only for making money.”
Members included George Becker, Moses Bloom, Harry Byrnes, Sydney Chidley, James Fox, W. Crosbie Gill, Frank King, Richard Marston, Harley Merry, John A. Merry, Thomas G. Moses, Arthur Palmer, Seymour D. Parker, Frank Platzer, W. T. Porter, Adolf T. Reinhold, John Rettig, John W. Rough, Horace N. Smith, Orville L. Story, Howard Tuttle, A. G. Volz, Harry Weed, and David W. Weil were just a few of the participants actively involved in the establishment of the alliance.
This organization truly bridged the gap between the two schools of scene painting. Scenic artists across the country united for a common cause.
[Slide 38]
In addition to Merry’s legislative legacy, his artistic legacy continued from one generation to the next. One brief example was the studio established by two of his students – Walter Burridge and Ernest Albert, who partnered with Oliver Dennet Grover in 1890 to construct an astonishing scenic studio by 1891 measuring almost 4500 square meters. Brochures noted, “After a scene is painted, it can be hung, set and lighted in an open space – [the space, measuring] the full size of any stage in the country, so that a manager can not only inspect it as an entirety, and thus suggest alterations, but he can bring his company to the studio and rehearse with the new scenery.” They went bankrupt in two years.
[Slide 39]
This was a period in American Theatre History denoting a distinct shift in the manufacture and distribution of painted scenery. There was a transition from scenery being painted by itinerant scenic artists on site to scenic studio artists mass-producing and shipping scenery by rail.
[Slide 40]
No American scenic studio better exemplifies this shift that Sosman & Landis. Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis met and began working as itinerant artists in 1876. By 1879, they saved enough money to open a scenic studio in Chicago. Between the summers of 1881 and 1882, the firm delivered scenery to 74 theaters across the country, then established regional offices New York, Detroit, Kansas City, and St. Louis.
The success of Sosman & Landis was based on a stream of highly skilled scenic artists with national reputations coming in to do what they did best, and then leaving. This cut down on the studio’s overhead, while securing name-recognition from the beginning. Early on, the reputation of the firm was linked to the individual reputations of their scenic artists and stage mechanics.
Over time, the studio became a factory, with a main studio staff, annex studio staffs during times of high productivity, and road crews that painted some installation on site. By 1894 they had delivered scenery to 4,000 stages. Their catalogue that year announced, “Our Artists are selected with reference to their special abilities. Some excel in designing and painting drop curtains, others in landscapes, and other in interior scenes; so, we divide our work that each is given what he can do.”
[Slide 41]
In 1902, Sosman & Landis advertised that they had delivered scenery to more than 6,000 stages in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Carribean, and South Africa. The firm produced painted spectacle for a variety of popular entertainment, including moving panoramas, cycloramas, grand circus spectacles Wild West shows, amusement park attractions, industrial exhibits, charity events, and more. They knew stage craft and how to produce painted spectacle well.
[Slide 42]
During their reign, Chicago became the largest theatrical manufacturer and supplier in the country. They also diversified their business interests. In the 1890s, Sosman and Landis established the American Reflector & Lighting Company, as well as the theatrical management firm of Sosman, Landis & Hunt; the ran theaters and stock companies. Sosman and Landis even purchased manufacturing firms, such as the Tennessee Pottery Co., to directly source materials for lighting equipment.
[Slide 43]
Over the past few decades, I have identified 113 Sosman & Landis employees, tracing their lives and careers. Although this is only a small fraction of their total employees, it exhibits an unprecedented diversity in the American Theatre industry. The Sosman & Landis scenic studio was the proverbial melting pot of stage craft, a successful blend of old-world traditions and new world innovation. Here is a list of nineteen Sosman & Landis scenic artists who were born overseas in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Sweden, and the Germany Empire (Prussia and Bavaria).
[Slide 44]
Here is a list of thirteen 1st-generation scenic artists, the children of emigrants who were Bavarian, Polish, Czech, Dutch, English, French, and German. Again, these are the artistic who are confirmed, representing a small fraction of the complete employee total.
[Slide 45]
With a corresponding map, so you can see the specific region.
[Slide 46]
Seventeen employees came from families who had been in the country for quite some time, but they had been raised in the east; in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. These scenic artists trained in the English Method.
[Slide 47]
With a corresponding map, so you can see the specific region.
[Slide 48]
Thirty-five scenic artists were born and raised in the Midwestern States of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska; a hodge podge collection of descendants representing the United Kingdom and Europe; many raised on a farm, or the children of local merchants. These individuals became scenic artists, trained in both the English and Continental methods. Many were trained in the hybrid method, using opaque washes on a vertical paint frame.
[Slide 49]
With a corresponding map, so you can see the specific region. Please keep in mind that these slides of lists do not include the dozens of stage carpenters, seamstresses, salesmen, or office staff who worked at Sosman & Landis in Chicago or many of the branch offices. The slides also failed to include those who never make the news; underrepresented communities, and those people of color who were passing for white.
[Slide 50]
Statistically, thousands of scenes painted by nineteenth-century scenic artists remain scattered across North America, with many now tucked away in storerooms, under stages, or above auditorium rafters. They are primary sources for future generations of theatre scholars and practitioners to study. These historic artifacts not only represent the legacy of American scenic artists, but also the legacy of immigrant artists and their homelands.
Sosman & Landis were listed as “scenic artists of Chicago” by 1877 but did not permanently move to Chicago until 1879.
Years later, Landis described the the firm’s early years in a Dramatic Mirror interview. He explained, “…we had to decide whether New York of Chicago was to be the field of operations.”
The reporter asked: “Why did you choose Chicago. New York is surely a more lucrative field?”
Landis: “I know it is, but when we started, we were totally unknown, and New York presented a good deal of formidable competition. It’s the name you want in our business, and, at that time, we hadn’t got it. Since then, it has come, and we’re doing as much business as we can handle.”
They made a good choice. In 1880 Sosman & Landis was the only listing under the “Artists (Scenic)” section of the Chicago Directory.
Sosman &. Landis did not permanently move to Chicago until 1879. Landis described this early period of their partnership:
“Sosman and I went from town to town doing what jobs we could get, and saving all the money we could. By-and-bye we had saved enough to start in business seriously.” Starting in business “seriously” meant renting a studio space in Chicago. Prior to this time, their work was all completed on site. For example, in 1877, all of the scenery for the new opera house in Wilmington, Ohio, was painted at the theater. Wilmington’s new entertainment venue was located above the town hall.
City Hall, Wilmington, Ohio
The history of Wilmington’s public hall is included in The History of Clinton County Ohio (W. H. Beers and Co., 1882, p. 527-528).
Here is the entry about the Hall in The History of Clinton County Ohio:
“WILMINGTON PUBLIC HALL.
On the 17th day of March, 1876, the Council authorized an election to decide the question of levying a tax for the purpose of erecting a public hall and engine house. The election was held April 3, 1876, and resulted in a vote of 383 to 146 in favor of the enterprise. A special act of the Legislature was passed March 17, 1877, authorizing the Council to issue bonds not exceeding. in amount $15,000, and to levy a tax not to exceed 2 1/2 mills on the dollar valuation of the taxable property of the village. The first stone in the hall was laid on Friday, May 25, 1877, by Robert McMillan, and the building was completed in the spring of 1878. It is an imposing structure two stories high, with a mansard slate roof. The front is formed of three towers extending to the roof. The middle tower is surmounted with a small belfry, beautiful in design and finish, and in each roof of the other towers are two dormer windows. The front presents a number of ornaments of freestone and galvanized iron. On the outside walls on either side, are five buttresses extending from the ground to near the top of the building, four of which culminate, after making two offsets, in as many chimneys. On the first floor of the building are eight rooms as follows: East half, front room, Mayor’s office; middle room, for township purposes; rear room, Council chamber, west half occupied by the Fire Department; large room in front, engine room; three rooms in the rear occupied as a residence by the engineer. The second story entire comprises the auditorium. Across the rear end of the auditorium is a gallery. The building is lighted by gas and heated by hot air.
The contract for building the hall was awarded to Messrs. Fisher & Hughes for $16,980, and they sublet the brick and stone work to McMillan Bros.; the galvanized iron and slating to Farquhar & Sparks, and the painting to Griffin & Gustin: The plastering was clone by P. J. Murphy, under employment of the contractors. The plans and specifications were drawn up by William M. Cleveland, architect; but in the course of the construction of the building, some changes were rendered necessary, and the cost of the building was increased to $18,399.49. The scenery, chandeliers, etc., increased the above sum, and the total cost of the building as it stood at its completion was $20,006.52. There are chairs in the auditorium for over six hundred persons, and sufficient seats in the gallery for 250 more; but 1,200 persons can be accommodated without much crowding. The stage scenery is attractive, the chandeliers of a new and beautiful pattern, and the whole audience room is commodious and beautiful. Taking it all in all, the hall is a model one. For outside show, the building is an imposing one, not overdone in the way of decorations, but tasteful and attractive. The hall was formally opened and dedicated tinder the direction of the Town Council on the evening of Thursday, April 18, 1878, with the following programme:
Music, by Wilmington orchestra; Anthem, by choir; Music, by orchestra; Address. Presentation of the hall by Mayor Hayes; Address. Reception of hall by W. B. Telfair, Esq.; Music by orchestra.
In consideration of $2,000 paid by the Trustees of Union Township to the village of Wilmington, the latter granted them a perpetual lease on the room heretofore described as occupied by them for township purposes.
Work was plentiful for scenic artists at this time. In addition to the construction of new opera houses, many public buildings were either being constructed with theater spaces or renovated to include theatrical stages. This meant that scenic artists began working for city councils; a relationship that often led to other painting projects in the vicinity. Announcements of an artist’s arrival in town to paint scenery almost read like an advertisement.
On Dec. 20, 1877, Clinton Republican of Wilmington, Ohio, reported, “The Town Council have contracted with Messrs. Sosman & Landis, scenic artists of Chicago, for the painting of a drop curtain and seven scenes for the stage of the new Town Hall. These gentlemen will begin the work about the 1st of January, and it will take them some six weeks to two months to complete the job. They come highly recommended, and no doubt will do such good work as will add to the general attractiveness of the capacious and beautiful Auditorium” (page 3). A description of the stage was included in the 1882 issue of The Jno. B. Jeffrey’s Guide and Directory to the Opera Houses, Theatres, Public Halls, Bill Poster, Etc. of the Cities and Towns of America:
“Size of stage, 20×30, Seating capacity, 1,200. Eight sets of scenery” (pg. 238).
For geographical context, Wilmington, Ohio, is located only 50 miles northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. The two remained in Wilmington for two full months.
On Feb. 28. 1878, the Clinton Republican reported, “Messrs. Sosman & Landis, Scenic Artists, have completed the work of scene making for the stage of the new City Hall, and the same has been accepted by the Council. All who have seen the work of these gentlemen express themselves as surprised at the superior characters of the scenery and the near approach of the completion of the Hall only adds to the general commendations as to its beauty and excellence every way” (page 3). The dedication of the hall took place on Thursday, April 18, 1878.
While working in Wilmington, Landis took the opportunity to visit the nearby town Lebanon, Ohio. Lebanon was approximately 24 miles away toward the west, a little closer to Cincinnati. Landis was accompanied by Robert McMillan, builder of Wilmington’s city hall, and local clothier W. H. Rannels. On Feb. 7, 1878, Clinton Republican (page 2). A short article from the Lebanon Gazette was republished in the Clinton Republican reporting, “Messrs. W. H. Rannels, Robert McMillan and Perry Landis were here from Wilmington, on Wednesday last, for the purpose of looking through their new hall. Mr. Landis, a scenic artist of rare accomplishments, and is engaged at present, in ornamenting the hall at Wilmington. These gentlemen expressed themselves well pleased, with the grand outside appearance and exterior arrangements of our hall.”
Sosman & Landis’ 1878 scenery installation was remembered when Landis returned to town three years later. On Jan. 27, 1881, the Clinton Republican reported, “Perry Landis, of the firm Sosman & Landis, the gentlemen who furnished scenery for our City Hall. Has been in town the past few days. He proposes, provided the Council are willing, to place an extra curtain in the front of the stage at the hall, free of charge, the pay to come from advertisers who have their cards inserted on the margin” (page 3). Landis was peddling an advertising curtain. Instead of solely approaching theater owners to purchase scenery, the firm now solicited local business owners. The businesses paid for ad spaces, the income covering the price of the painted scene.
Advertising Curtains
Example of a advertising curtain sketch with proposed business spaces. University of Minnesota Libraries, Performing Arts Archives. https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll116:116
Advertising curtains for theaters were a profitable extension of business charts and signage.
The sale of advertising curtains marks is a significant moment in the development of Sosman & Landis. These projects guaranteed payment in advance and significant profits. They were guaranteed work for sign painters wishing to transition into the world of scenic art.
The first scenic artist on staff at Sosman & Landis in 1880 was Thomas G. Moses. Moses recalled that advertising drop curtains were a mainstay for the firm before his hire that year. In 1880, Moses wrote, “My first work was to go to Kenosha, Wisconsin, and start the first job of scenery that Sosman & Landis ever did. Up until this job they had been doing nothing but advertising drop curtains.”
Thomas G. Moses, pictured in the Inter Ocean on Feb. 26, 1886. He was 30 years old at the time.
Moses’ statement is not entirely accurate as Sosman & Landis had delivered stock scenery collections prior to moving to Chicago. However, when Moses was hired in 1880, the focus of the firm may have been advertising curtains, as the projects guaranteed payment in advance. Low risk and high profit helped offset the expenses of leasing a studio in Chicago. Moses painted dozens of advertising curtains prior to joining Sosman & Landis. For example, in 1877, Moses was paid $160 to paint and advertising curtain, a two-week project. For context, $160 in 1877 is equivalent to $4650 in 2023.
Sosman transitioned from painting business charts to advertising curtains between 1875 and 1877. In 1875, Sosman and his previous partner, J. C. Blaine, painted several business charts for local post offices. On Nov. 4, 1875, the two were mentioned in the Fairfield Ledger for painting “the most beautiful and attractive business chart ever seen in Fairfield.” The article reported, “In size it is 8×16 feet, and contains the business cards of about twenty of Fairfield’s businessmen. The chart is made of wood, securely fastened to the wall. The cards are beautifully and artistically finished in oil. The work is very creditable to the artists, Messrs. Sosman & Blain, who handsomely painted the scenery at Semon’s Opera House.” They painted a similar chart for the post office in Washington, Iowa.
On Dec. 17, 1875, the Washington Gazette listed “Sausman [sic. Sosman] & Blaine – New style of advertising” in the “New Advertisements section (page 3). The article about their endeavor reported:
“New Style of Advertising.
The center attraction to the crowds who visit the post office is the new and elegant advertising bulletin recently put three by Messrs. Sausman & Blaine, the scenic artists and commercial advertisers who have just completed the painting of the scenery for “Everson’s Opera Hall.” The work throughout stamps them as first-class artists in their line, and the bulletin is certainly the handsomest, neatest and most attractive thing we ever saw in the line of advertising. It is painted on canvas, in oil colors, and in size is 8 x 16 feet. The cards. Twenty-five in number, are beautifully and artistically designed and are ornamented with the names and businesses of twenty-five of Washington’s most enterprising and wide-awake businessmen. The whole number of cards were taken the first day, and numerous applicants for cards were made after the required number was obtained, which pointedly shows that our business men know how to appreciate a good thing when they see it, but Messrs. S & B have made an imperative rule to take as advertisers but one firm in each distinctive branch of business, and erect but one bulletin of twenty-five cards in each city, and have adopted as their motto ‘first come, first served,” hence but first-class advertisements have or will be taken. In conclusion, we can heartily endorse Messrs. Sausman & Blaine as gentlemen who fulfill their contracts satisfactorily in every respect, and we wish them success and bespeak for them the liberal patronage which their work deserves, wherever they go.”
City Hall, Elyria, Ohio
Map of Elyria with image of Town Hall in lower left-hand corner, 1868.
Elyria Town Hall became home to the opera house after a renovation in 1878.
Elyria Town Hall was home to the opera house after renovation in 1878.
In the fall of 1878, Sosman & Lands delivered scenery to a theater in Elyria, Ohio. Their project was mentioned in Sosman’s hometown of Macomb, Illinois. On Dec. 26, 1878, The Macomb Journal mentioned Sosman in the “Personals” section.
The article reported, “Jos. S. Sosman returned, Friday last, from Elyria, Ohio, where he has been engaged for some time, painting the scenery for a new Opera House. He came straight to the JOURNAL office and divided the fruits of his toil. Mr. Sosman, as a scenic artist, is gaining a reputation that extends beyond the State, and he deserves it, for few artists decorate the interior of theaters than that self-same Joe” (page 3). Sosman was working at the refurbished town hall in Elyria. A new addition was added to the building, completed that September. Elyria’s town hall was listed in Jno. B. Jeffrey’s Guide and Directory to the Opera Houses, Theatres, Public Halls, Bill Poster, Etc. of the Cities and Towns of America. The following description of the stage was included:
“Size of stage, 30×40. Seating capacity, 1,000. Seated with chairs. Fourteen sets of scenery” (pg. 222).
Elyria Opera House building pictured on a postcard.
For geographical context, Elyria is located just six miles from Lake Erie, approximately 20 miles from Cleveland. Elyria City Hall was built in 1867 and is still standing. During extensive renovations in 1878 the second floor was converted to an elaborate opera house, and this was when Sosman painted scenery for the venue. After the building was repeatedly repurposed and renovated, it is once again the home to City Hall. This was their last project before leasing a permanent space in Chicago.
Moving to Chicago
By the onset of 1879, Sosman and Landis accumulated enough funds to establish a studio in Chicago, Illinois. On January 9, 1879, Indiana’s Rushville Republican, reported, “Perry Landis visited his father’s family in this place, a few days ago. We understand that he intends to locate to Chicago.”
On Feb 5, 1879, The Macomb Journal reported, “To quote the Independent ,’it never rains but it pores,’ and scarce were we over our perturbation at the leader of the Macomb Band going away, then came by post a letter from Joe S. Sosman, another member of same institution. Said letter directed us to send his paper in future to 277 South Clark street; and a card enclosed gives us information that Sosman & Landis have located their office as scenic artists within a block of the Grand Pacific, and for a time, at least, another horn will cease its sweet blow. The card of the firm says, ‘our references are strictly first class.’ You bet – there’s the JOURNAL, one of that class, that Joe, like Harker, can draw on at any time for all the reference or endorsement he wishes, and every draft will be honored at sight” (page 3). Sosman was part of the Macomb Coronet band, as was William “Bill” Harker, the lieutenant and leading horn.
Again, in the Dramatic Mirror interview, Landis explained why they picked Chicago to set up shop:
“…when we started, we were totally unknown, and New York presented a good deal of formidable competition. It’s the name you want in our business” (June 27, 1891, page 8).
Sosman & Landis’ established their first studio at 277 and 279 South Clark Street in Chicago, located on the northeast corner of Van Buren. An advertisement for the space was published in the Chicago Tribune on May 25, 1879 (page 1). It was a multi-purpose structure Isaac Marks of 277 rented a large store at No. 279 South Clark-st.
Advertisement for 279 S. Clark-st. from May 1879.
That fall, the same address same address was listed in the Amusements section of the Chicago Tribune as the venue for “J. W. Couch’s Menagerie” (20-21 Nov 1879, page 2). On Nov. 23, 1879, the Chicago Daily Telegraph announced, “J. W. Couch’s Menagerie, Museum and Aquarium, 277 and 279 South Clark-st. Admission, 10 cents; children under 12, 5 cents. Fifty cages of live animals; 25 living alligators, 2 performing buffalo, herds of antelopes, hundreds of curiosities, dens of wonderful reptiles, Prof. Dun Bar with his forty performing canary birds, are among the many great features of this week” (page 8).
Last listing includes Sosman & Landis’ studio address in 1879 – the same location used by J. W. Couch’s Menageri at 277 and 279 South Clark-st.
Sosman & Landis offered mail order scenery, publishing a list of available scenes. On May 17, 1879, an advertisement in Chicago Tribune on May 17, 1879, stated that their painted scenes were “suitable for small halls or amateur societies” and could be shipped to any part of the country.
Sosman & Landis 1879 Advertisement with scenery prices.
This same advertisement gave pricing for the most common stage settings:
Elegant landscape drop-curtain, $30
Parlor scene, $18
Wood scene, $18
Street scene, $18
Kitchen scene, $15
Prison scene, $15
For context, $30 in 1879 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $910.09 in 2023. Now consider the $160 that was paid to Moses two years earlier to paint an advertising curtain.
Each continued to visit friends and family near Fairfield, as they continued to seek scenery contracts throughout the region. On July 9, 1879, the “Fairfield Ledger” announced “Perry Landis is on the streets this week” (page 5). Landis was likely on his way to their next project in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Dohany’s Opera House, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Dohany’s Opera House in Council Bluff
On July 22, 1879, The Daily Nonpareil of Council Bluffs, Iowa, announced, “Dohany’s Opera House will soon be supplied with a handsome new drop curtain and a number of new scenes. The work will be done by Mr. Perry Landis, of the firm Sosman & Landis, of Chicago, who is now in the city for that purpose. The drop curtain will be covered with an attractively painted business directory of the city” (page 4). In 1882, Dohany’s Opera House was listed in Jno. B. Jeffrey’s Guide and Directory to the Opera Houses, Theatres, Public Halls, Bill Poster, Etc. of the Cities and Towns of America. The following description of the stage was included:
“Size of stage, 31×44. Seating capacity, 800. Six sliding and eight rolling scenes.” A picture Dohany’s Opera House was included in the in the 1887 publication, Council Bluffs Iowa Illustrated.
Photograph of Dohany’s Opera House in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In 1879, Landis returned twice to Freeport, Illinois, during the spring of 1879. Their potential client was the Wilcoxon Opera House. On April 17, and May 9, 1879, “Perry Landis, Chicago,” was listed in the Freeport Daily Bulletin as an arrival at the Brewster House in Freeport, Illinois. He was bidding against other scenic artists in the region for this lucrative contract.
By the end of summer, Landis once again returned to Fairfield, Iowa. On Aug 21, 1878, the Fairfield Ledger announced, “Perry Landis has been in town for several days” (page 6).
Although Landis helped Sosman paint in the beginning, he primary ran the firm’s office in Chicgao. He immediately hired his younger brother, Frank Landis. In 1879 Frank began working as a traveling salesman for the firm. On August 16, 1879, the Atchison Daily Patriot announced, “Frank Landis, representing the firm of Sosman & Landis, is in Atchison” (page 4). The firm was rapidly expanding its territory. Between the summer of 1881 and 1882, they would amass a staff and deliver scenery to 74 theaters. This was a far cry from the handful of stock sets produced between 1878 and 1879 when they were on the road.
As explained to the Dramatic Mirror in 1891, “Landis did not know anything about the painting part, but he took charge of the business while Sosman wielded the brushes.” Sosman was the artistic visionary, working as the firm’s art director. Although he was a skilled scenic artist, Sosman sought out better-known names, understanding that “It’s the name you want in our business.”
When Sosman & Landis first arrived in Chicago they were not well-known. They needed to use the names of other artists to get work and move ahead in the business. That was one of the many reasons that Sosman first hired Thomas G. Moses. Moses had already made inroads in the scenic art world and was recognized throughout the region.
As business continued to increase, the studio staff was rapidly expanded. Nationally-recognized scenic artists and stage carpenters were brought on board, with Landis making sure their credential and association with Sosman & Landis made headlines. Landis truly understood the power of the press.
Sometime between the Dec. 1875 and May 1876, Joseph S. Sosman and Perry Landis began working and traveling together. By 1877, they were known as “Messrs. Sosman & Landis, scenic artists, of Chicago.”
When they met in 1875, the two shared one thing in common – Fairfield, Iowa.
Fairfield, Iowa
Here’s a little context for this small midwestern town…
Chas. H, Fletcher’s publication, Jefferson County, Iowa. Centennial History, gave the following information:
“In 1875 the population was 1,544; 304 families; 247 militia; 361 voters; 354 dwellings; 10 school-houses; 1 church; 50 church members; 376 school children; 18,034 acres improved land; 3,956 acres unimproved land; 105,034 rods of fence; 1,077 acres wheat; 4,591 acres corn; 208 acres rye; 1,330 acres oats; 22 acres barley; 28 acres buckwheat; 9 acres sorghum; 8,553 acres grass; 106 acres potatoes; 4,398 acres natural timber, 2 acres planted timber; 3,550 rods hedge. Bearing fruit trees: 9,536 apple; 122 pear; 250 peach; 36 plum; 1,785 cherry. Stock: 757 horses; 2,166 cattle; 2,898 hogs; 1,605 sheep, 33 mules and asses. 86 stands of bees 15 miles of Railroad. Value of school property, $6,425. Railway station, Fairfield.”
Of Fairfield’s community, Fletcher wrote:
“In 1876 the city presents greater proportions, showing a healthy growth in twenty-nine years. There are 13 grocery stores doing a business of over $200,000; 1 wholesale grocery house, $60,000; 2 restaurants, $25,000; 2 general stores, $100,000; 7 dry goods stores, $150,000; 4 clothing stores, $37,000; 3 boot and shoe stores, $50,000; 2 hat and cap stores, $25,000; 3 jewelers, $25,000; 5 drug stores, $70,000; 3 book stores, $30,000; 4 meat markets, $50,000; 6 millinery stores, $75,000; 10 saloons, $100,000; 3 stove and tinware stores, $60,000; 2 foundries, $40,000; 1 woolen factory and 1 woolen goods store, $30,000; 2 flouring mills, $50,000; 2 butter and egg depots, $40,000; 2 hardware stores, $50,000; 4 grain houses, $150,000; 2 furniture stores, $40,000; 3 harness, 6 tailor, 5 wagon, 10 boot and shoemaker, 7 blacksmith, 1 gunsmith and 4 barber shops, doing a business of $100,000; 3 lumber yards, $125,000; 1 furniture factory, $50,000; 3 livery stables, 2 bus lines, 1 broom factory, $75,000; and in addition to these there are three banks, 19 lawyers, 14 doctors, 4 dentists, 1 taxidermist, 6 insurance agencies, 1 pension agency, 2 justices of the peace, 3 telegraph office, 2 R. R. depots, 1 patent medicine manufactory, 4 private schools, 1 union school, 4 hotels, 1 OPERA HOUSE, 3 public halls, 2 musical instrument dealers, 3 newspapers, 3 coal dealers, 1 public library with 4,620 volumes, 10 church organizations, 9 church edifices, 1 Masonic hall, 1 Odd Fellows hall, 1 Zetagathain hall, 1 Knights of Pythias hall, and 1 Ancient Order of Workingmen hall.
Semon’s Opera House in Fairfield, Iowa. Image posted at jeffersoncountyheritage.org/photo-archive/
In 1875, Joe Sosman arrived in Fairfield to paint scenery for the newly-constructed opera house. That same year, Landis’s return to his hometown was repeatedly mentioned in the Fairfield Ledger.
The Fairfield Ledger building in Fairfield, Iowa. Image posted at jeffersoncountyheritage.org/photo-archive/
The Landis family moved to Fairfield in 1844, initially staying for five years. Although they briefly relocated to Indiana in 1849, the family returned to Fairfield by 1854. They remained in the Fairfield area until 1868. This mean that Perry grew to adulthood on a farm in the area. Despite his move to Denver in 1871, Landis maintained close relations with many Fairfield friends and family.
Landis periodically returned to Fairfield for brief visits throughout 1875. His arrivals and departures were often noted in the newspaper.Landis was at a crossroads in life. In May 1875, he closed Perry Landis & Co. in Denver, a lightning rod firm. Landis then returned to his family in the east, making stops in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. It was in Ohio that Landis purportedly met Sosman. Their connection to Fairfield would have been provided an instant connection. Their meeting was recounted years later in a Dramatic Mirror interview with Landis. The article reported, “With only a few stray dollars in his pocket Mr. Landis was practically on his uppers when he met Mr. Sosman in Ohio by accident…the two men became friendly and finally chummed it.” It is possible that Sosman was visiting his older brother when he first encountered Landis. Capt. William Sosman lived in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Prior to their meeting, Sosman painted scenery in Fairfield. On Sept 23, 1875, The Macomb Journal reported:
Joe Sosman, Macomb’s talented young artist, left the city Monday last for Fairfield, Iowa, where he goes to paint scenery for a new hall erected there. He will be gone about three or four weeks and will do a job that will suit the Fairfieldians to a T (page 3).
At the time, Sosman was working with fellow scenic artist J. C. Blaine. Aftre completing the opera house project, Sosman and Blaine extended their stay, remaining in town until late November. They then headed 28 miles northeast to Washington, Iowa, where they painted scenery for Everson’s Hall. Also known as Everson’s Opera House, the venue was located in the county courthouse on the second floor.
As in Fairfield, Sosman & Blaine contracted several other painting projects after completing the stage scenery for Everson’s Hall. They also painted a business chart, very similar to the one created a month earlier in Fairfield. On Nov. 4, 1875, the Fairfield Ledger credited Sosman & Blaine with painting “the most beautiful and attractive business chart ever seen in Fairfield.” The article reported, “In size it is 8×16 feet, and contains the business cards of about twenty of Fairfield’s businessmen. The chart is made of wood, securely fastened to the wall. The cards are beautifully and artistically finished in oil. The work is very creditable to the artists, Messrs. Sosman & Blain, who handsomely painted the scenery at Semon’s Opera House.”
On Dec. 17, 1875, the Washington Gazette listed “Sausman & Blaine – New style of advertising” in the “New Advertisements section (page 3). The article about their endeavor reported:
“New Style of Advertising.
The center attraction to the crowds who visit the post office is the new and elegant advertising bulletin recently put three by Messrs. Sausman & Blaine, the scenic artists and commercial advertisers who have just completed the painting of the scenery for “Everson’s Opera Hall.” The work throughout stamps them as first-class artists in their line, and the bulletin is certainly the handsomest, neatest and most attractive thing we ever saw in the line of advertising. It is painted on canvas, in oil colors, and in size is 8 x 16 feet. The cards. Twenty-five in number, are beautifully and artistically designed and are ornamented with the names and businesses of twenty-five of Washington’s most enterprising and wide-awake businessmen. The whole number of cards were taken the first day, and numerous applicants for cards were made after the required number was obtained, which pointedly shows that our business men know how to appreciate a good thing when they see it, but Messrs. S & B have made an imperative rule to take as advertisers but one firm in each distinctive branch of business, and erect but one bulletin of twenty-five cards in each city, and have adopted as their motto ‘first come, first served,” hence but first-class advertisements have or will be taken. In conclusion, we can heartily endorse Messrs. Sausman & Blaine as gentlemen who fulfill their contracts satisfactorily in every respect, and we wish them success and bespeak for them the liberal patronage which their work deserves, wherever they go.”
Sosman & Blaine had been advertising in Washington newspapers since their arrival the month before. On Nov. 24, 1875, the WashingtonEvening Journal advertised: “SIGN PAINTING. Messrs. Sosman & Blain, the Scenic Artists who are now at work painting the Scenery for Everson’s Hall, will, on completion of their work at the Hall, take orders for Sign Work. Fine Signs and Window Curtains made a specialty.”
Sosman & Blaine likely parted ways around the holiday season. Sometime between the end of December 1875 and May 1876, Sosman left Blaine, met Landis, and established a new partnership. The two became not only fast friends, but also business partners. They became inseparable for the next three decades.
The Fairfield Ledger announced their return to Fairfield during the spring of 1876.
On May 11, 1876, the Fairfield Ledger reported “Perry Landis and J. S. Sosman spent a few days in the city last week” (page 3). A similar announcement was published the next month. On June 11, 1876, the Fairfield Ledger announced, “Perry Landis and J. S. Sosman spent a few days in the city last week” (page 3).
Changing Course in 1875
We will never know the details surrounding their first encounter. However, 1875 was a year of transition for both Sosman and Landis. They met at a perfect time.
The Landis family was occupied with activities surrounding the sale of their vineyard in Connersville, Indiana. The property had been purchased by his parents in 1868, bringing the entire family closer to its aging matriarch, Perry’s paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Moss. After her passing in 1871, Perry left for Colorado. His older brother, Joseph Landis, later managed the sale of the vineyard from his nearby home in Liberty. The sale again gathered the Landis family to Indiana.
On Sept. 30, 1875, the Liberty Herald published the following announcement, “Farm for Sale.
The finest Fruit Farm in Fayette county, at a bargain. 3,000 Grape Vines; other fruit in proportion; Hedge Fence around the entire farm. Every foot tillable land, second bottom. Offered at a great bargain. Address JOE. LANDIS, Liberty, Ind.” (page 3). The Landis family vineyard in Connersville, Indiana, was sold in March 1876. On March 7, 1876, the Connersville Examiner announced, “William porter has purchased Landis’ farm south of town for which he paid $8,000.” After the Connersville property was sold, Perry’s parents and younger siblings moved to Rushville, Indiana, where Henry H. Landis (Perry’s father) opened a jewelry and watch repair shop.
1875-1876 It was a period of transition for the entire Landis family.
Sosman was also changing the course of his own career. In Fairfield, Sosman was assisted by fellow scenic artist and stage carpenter, J. C. Blaine. Sosman & Blaine not only painted stock scenery for Fairfield’s new opera house, but also completed several other painting projects for local businesses in the area. After Fairfield, Sosman & Blaine traveled 28 miles northwest to Washington, Iowa. In late November, they painted scenery for Everson’s Hall. On Nov. 24, 1875, the Washington Evening Journal published the following advertisement for the pair: “SIGN PAINTING. Messrs. Sosman & Blain, the Scenic Artists who are now at work painting the Scenery for Everson’s Hall, will, on completion of their work at the Hall, take orders for Sign Work. Fine Signs and Window Curtains made a specialty.” The partnership of Sosman & Blain ended shortly after this time. The reason for their parting may have had to do with Sosman’s encounter with Landis. By the spring of 1876, Sosman & Landis were traveling together.
Sometime between December 1875 and May 1876, Joe met Perry and the two became inseparable.
One of their first projects was in Marshalltown, Iowa. yet each managed to visit family that summer. On August 10, 1876, The Macomb Journal reported, “J. S. Sossman returned yesterday from Marshalltown, Iowa, where he has been fitting up a hall with stage scenery. Mr. Sossman’s reputation as an artist, has gone beyond the State, and he finds ample employment for his talents, which are first-class” (page 3). Marshalltown was north of Fairfield, 75 miles due west from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Despite work, each managed to return home and visit family.
On July 6, 1876, the Herald of Liberty, Indiana, reported, “Perry Landis, lately returned from Fairfield, Iowa, witnessed the flight of the eagle in Liberty the 4th” (page 3). Again, Perry’s older brother, Joseph Landis, worked as a jeweler in Liberty.
Sosman also returned home to Macomb, but did not stay for long. By late August, he traveled to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Macomb newspapers dubbed the event as simply “The Centennial” or Centennial, as it was so well-known. A thorough description of the exposition fairgrounds was even published in the Macomb Journal on August 3, 1876 (page 1). The same newspaper reported Sosman’s departure for the Centennial. On August 24, The Macomb Journal announced, “Joe Sossman started for Centennial Monday. Joe’s artistic eye will take in everything worth seeing at the great exposition” (page 3).
The Main Building at the Centennial Exposition in 1876.
Sosman was among many Macomb citizens to attend the event that year; their comings and goings announced in the newspaper. Keep in mind that this was a significant event that introduced both Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone and the Remington Typographic Machine (typewriter) to the American Public on a grand scale.
At the onset of 1877, Sosman was still referred to as “Macomb’s artist.” On March 22, 1877, “The Macomb Journal” announced, “Joe Sosman, Macomb’s artist, arrived at home this morning” (page 3). By the end of the year, both Sosman and Landis began citing their business residence as Chicago. Each continued to make headlines in their hometown newspapers and throughout the region.
On June 15, 1877, the Brazil Manufacture and Miner of Brazil, Indiana, reported, “We had the pleasure of meeting, a few days since the ever happy and ever pleasant face of our genial old-time friend Perry Landis, who visited Brazil in the interest of science, art and beauty” (page 5).
Then an interesting article popped up in Sosman’s hometown news. It is perplexing, and I have yet to really track this down. However, I am going to include it anyway. On June 27, 1878, “The Macomb Journal” reported, “The individual who says Forepaugh’s circus had anything to do with Joe Sosman’s return to Macomb, is a ‘liar, a scoundrel, and a villain’………..Those tramps are goin north, in quest of binding. It is hoped the law will harvest a full crop of the rogues, soundly thrash, and scoop them into the Joliet bion, to go through a sweat, form which they may come out with a disposition to work, instead of ‘bum’ for a living….” (page 3).
By the end of 1877, both Sosman & Landis were working on a project in Wilmington, Ohio. On Dec. 20, 1877, the Clinton Republican” reported, “The Town Council have contracted with Messrs. Sosman & Landis, scenic artists of Chicago, for the painting of a drop curtain and seven scenes for the stage of the new Town Hall. These gentlemen will begin the work about the 1st of January, and it will take them some six weeks to two months to complete the job. They come highly recommended, and no doubt will do such good work as will add to the general attractiveness of the capacious and beautiful Auditorium” (page 3). For geographical context, Wilmington, Ohio, is 50 miles northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Perry Landis headed west in 1871, settling in Denver, Colorado. This move occurred immediately after the passing of his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Landis Moss in Blooming Grove, Indiana. Two years earlier, Perry and his older brother, Jacob, moved from Fairfield, Iowa, to Connersville, Indiana, helping work their father’s new vineyard. The Landis farm yielded grapes and small fruits. It was located less than 13 miles north of Blooming Grove. Between in 1869 and 1871, Perry sold grapes and small fruit grown at the Landis vineyard. He also partnered with Samuel M. Zent to sell a fruit and vegetable dehydrator marketed as a Dryhouse.
Perry’s move to Denver, Colorado marked a definitive break from the family business. Despite moving west, he continued to visit both friends and family in Fairfield, Iowa. Many of his comings and goings published in local newspapers. Landis even sent letters to colleagues at the Fairfield newspaper.
On Nov. 21, 1872, the Fairfield Ledger published a letter written by Perry Landis to the Editor of the newspaper. His letter was dated Nov. 5, 1872, with the title “Colorado Correspondence.”
“Editor Ledger,
Having formerly been a resident of Fairfield, and a reader of the Ledger, and thinking a few items from this, the “Garden City” of the Plains, might be of interest, I will endeavor to give you an idea of Denver and its surroundings. The city is located at the conjunctions of Cherry Creek and Platte River, distant 12 miles from the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The Platte is a broad, shallow, but swift stream, furnishing abundant good drinking water and for limited irrigation, but offering no possibilities of navigation – not even ferriage. Cherry Creek is but a broad channel during the summer months, and only occasionally enlivened with any water. For years after the founding of the town none appeared in its bed, and supposing it to have been deserted altogether, the people built and lived in the bottom. Stored, shops and dwellings appeared there, the printing office, also the city records. But of a sudden, after a heavy rain, “Old Cherry” asserted her rights, and a flood came pouring down the old riverbed, not gradually, so as to give warning, but a full-blown torrent and with almost lightning speed reclaimed its own and swept away everything that had usurped its place into destruction. Since then, the people have paid respect to Cherry creek. At some seasons of the year there is still a little water in its sands, but for the most part it is dry through the city; but nobody builds in its bed, and numerous bridges ever its path pays tribute to what once was and may be again.
Denver, at present, contains a population of twelve thousand, and is rapidly increasing. Seven hundred and eighty-three new houses were built during 1871, and there is every reason to believe a like or greater number will be completed this present years. They are mostly brick, with some few frames, and a better class of buildings generally I have never seen in the States. Quite a number of elegant private residences have been erected the past summer, costing all the way from fifteen to forty dollars. The city is beautifully laid out – the streets are broad and straight and lined on either side with long rows of cottonwood trees. One of the chief beauties of Denver is the universal planting of shade trees. Glancing up and down those well-kept streets, with their long rows of trees and streams of water sparkling and dancing in the sunlight, Denver truly presents and attractive and inviting appearance. Here at the very foot of the Rocky Mountains, and in what was once termed the Great American Desert, we have a miniature city with all modern improvements. The streets are lighted with gas; Holly Water Works bring water to the very doors of those who are able to afford it, and in the case of fire it is invaluable. The principal streets are traversed by the Denver Street Railway, on which cars commenced running the first of April last and are paying a good percentage on investment. Eight elegant church buildings, representing two Presbyterian, two Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Baptist and Lutheran, —
Good schools and good school buildings. The First ward school building, just completed at a cost of forty-five thousand dollars is an ornament to the city and will compare favorably with anything west of the “Muddy Missouri.” In addition to the public schools, we have a Catholic Covenant school and Wolfe Hall Seminary, for young ladies. Both institutions are highly recommended by patrons and are no doubt creditably and ably managed. A Commercial College and University, both for ladies and gentlemen, does a flourishing business and is highly spoken of. Through the winter months the Denver Theatre is open and occupied by a first-class stock company; it is visited by all the leading stars pf the country, thus affording a first-class entertainment to Denverites. The business portion of the city will compare favorably with any easter town of like size. Buildings are principally of brock, three and four stories high, with iron and stone fronts and plate glass windows. Very heavy stocks of goods are carried by our merchants generally, who, in addition to their retail trade do a heavy jobbing business with smaller towns throughout the Territory and Mexico. Several firms report annual sales to the amount of five thousand dollars, and Solomon Bros, wholesale and retail grocers, report over eight hundred thousand dollars for the past year; so, you may imagine the amount of business done here. Real estate is an important business, over four million dollars’ worth changing hands during 1871.
The business streets of Denver present an interesting study to the student of mankind in general, for here may be seen a variety of different races and colors. The “Heathen Chinee,” with his bundle of washing on his head habited in Oriental costume may be seen at all times. They do all the washing for a subsistence, and for “two bit-ee Melican Man-ee will wash-ee shirt-ee heap clean-ee.” Some of them have rather curious names, such as Quang Chang, Fee Lang, Gee Whoa, Fough Lee, Whoa Haw, &c. Mr. “Lo,” in all his native toggery and greasiness, with all the majesty of red paint, blankets, beads, and scalps taken from their deadly enemies, the Cheyenne appear on the streets every day. They are usually armed to the teeth with rifles, revolvers, bows and arrows. Their faces are smeared with red and yellow paint and their dress is a conglomeration of everything. Now as cold weather approaches, they are beginning to wear more than a pair of moccasins and a flour sack (their usual summer costume). They ride sorry looking ponies, and, without an exception are the most miserable and worthless set of vagabonds the sun shines on. The belong to the Cimmaron Ute tribe, whose reservation is near here. Many other characters of interest may be seen – the mountaineer, the miner, and the ranchman; and the swarthy Mexican, mounted on a “Boore” and driving six yoke of long-horned cattle, in a picture of contentment as is seldom seem. The flashy gambler, and the usual number of deadbeats, cappers and stool pigeons dominate; and so alarmingly has this vice increased that active measures have been taken by authorities for its suppression. Hardly a day passes but what some individual who is not up to “ways that are dark and tricks that are vain,” gets fleeced out of his earned “nuggets.”
The mining interest of the Territory is being pushed to the extent of the owner’s capabilities and is yielding bountifully. The increase of the amount taken out this year will double that of last year. The principal mining regions are Central City, Georgetown, Black Hawk and Mounts Lincoln and Bros. Wages for miners $3.50 to $5.00 per day and plenty of work.
During the summer the weather is delightful, especially the mornings and evenings; but about 12 M. “Old Sol” does his level best, and the mercury runs up to 100 degrees in the shade. However, about 6 P.M. it begins to. Get cool, and after dark a light overcoat is not uncomfortable. We had an abundance of rain the past summer, rendering the irrigation almost unnecessary, and we have reason to believe that this “rainless” country is undergoing a systemic change for the better. The mountain view from Denver is grand and beautiful. Pike’s Peak, with its snow-capped summit mat be seen off to the south apparently about ten miles distant, yet in reality it is seventy miles away in a direct line. Long’s Peak, to the north, seems as near, yet it is sixty-five miles away. To the west rises Grey’s Peak and the Snowy Range extending as far as the eye can reach, covered with snow and beautiful forests of pine. Even the foothills, twelve miles distant, at times appear no more than two. Many are the poor fellows from the Easy who started to walk over to them before breakfast, just to give themselves and appetite, you know; and just so many of said poor fellows have returned without reaching them and wondering “how in the word them confounded mountains contrived to move away as they approached.” I have heard of one plucky fellow who persevered in his walk and finally arrived in Golden City, sixteen miles distant – He took the cars for Denver and left for the East the next day, declaring he would not stay in such a “blarsted country.” The hotels are and have been crowded with travelers, tourists and sight-seers from every State, and even from Europe. Quite a number of the English capitalists and nobility are largely interested in mines in this territory. The Marquis of Queensbury is here at present, looking after his mining interests in person. I am very much pleased with Colorado – its climate, mountains and general go-a-headitiveness of its people; and to anyone contemplating coming West I would say, come to Colorado –
Where the cabbages grow so fast
That they burst with a noise like the thun-
ders and blast;
Where through the rich, deep, mellow soil,
The beats grow down as if boring for oil.
PERRY LANDIS”
Colorado presented an abundance of opportunities, and people arrived to the western territories in droves.
The publication History of the City of Denver, Arapahoe County and Colorado described the population boom:
“At the end of 1872, Denver claimed a population of 15,000, an increase of about 5,000 during the year. The excess of business for 1872 over the preceding year was estimated at three and a half millions. Real estate was active…Denver was on the high road to prosperity as she had never been before at any period of her history” (Page 227).
Colorado newspaper accounts repeatedly mentioned Landis in the region between 1872 and 1875, as he became involved with several business ventures that ranged from fruit trees to lightning rods.
Landis & Witter listing in 1873, Denver, Colorado.
In 1872, Landis partnered with Daniel Witter (1827-1906) to establish Landis & Witter’s Denver Nursery. Witter was Perry’s first cousin, the eldest of ten children born to Catherine Landis Witter (1807-1897) and Samuel Witter (1804-1852). Catherine Landis Witter was an older sister to Henry H. Landis (Perry’s father). They were two of six children born to David Landis and Elizabeth Peckleshimer Landis. The four other siblings were Rebecca Landis Shideler, Sarah Landis Myers, Elizabeth Landis Ellis, and Jacob B. Landis. Perry’s cousin Daniel Witter was born in Franklin County, Indiana, the same county where Perry’s father bought the vineyard and Perry’s grandmother passed away the year before.
1873 Directory listing for Landis & Witter in the Denver City Directory
1873 listing for Daniel Witter, cousin of Perry Landis, in the Denver Directory.
By the time Perry arrived in Denver, Witter was quite successful, working as a lawyer, land agent, and U.S. Assessor. I am including Daniel Witter’s obituary, as it provides some context for Landis & Witter.
Daniel Witter’s gravestone in Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colorado.
On Jan. 29, 1906, The Greely Tribune announced:
“Dan Witter Dead.
Daniel Witter, one of the oldest and ablest pioneers in Colorado, and one of the original trustees of Union Colony that located Greeley, died in his home in Denver last Saturday, This leaves H. T. West of this city the only surviving member of the original board of trustees.
Mr. Witter was born in Franklin county, Indiana, April 3, 1827. He was educated in the schools of his birthplace, where he studied law, and in 1855 married Miss Clara V. Matthews, half-sister of Schuyler Colfax, afterward speaker of the house of representatives, and in 1868, vice president of the United States. Mr. Witter came to Colorado, or what was then known as Pike’s Peak Gold Region, in 1859. He went to the Tarryall placer mines in Park county where he was elected judge of the miners’ court. When the territory of Colorado was organized by congress in 1861, he was elected to the first territorial legislature. Shortly afterward President Lincoln appointed him assessor of internal revenue for Colorado with headquarters at Denver, which office he retained until the system was abolished. After the adjournment of the first legislature, he returned to Indiana for his family, and with his wife and two children occupying a light spring wagon, he drove from Ottumwa, Iowa, across the plains to Hamilton, in the South Park, where the resided until 1862, when they moved to Denver” (page 4).
Witter was 45 yrs. old when he partnered with his younger cousin Perry, then 24-yrs.-old. In many ways, Landis was trained by a remarkable businessman who truly understood the power of publicity. In the beginning of their partnership, Landis and Witter both lived and worked together.
In 1873 their directory listing was:
Witter, Daniel, lawyer, real estate agt, and U. S. Assessor, ws G, bet. Larimer and Holladay, r. Larimer, sw. cor. Arapahoe av.
Landis, Perry (Landis & Witter), bds, Larimer, sw cor. Arapahoe av.
On Dec. 6, 1873, the Denver Daily Times reported, “Attention is directed to the card of Perry Landis & Daniel Witter, who have a large lot of hardy Colorado-grown fruit, ornamental trees, vines. Etc., which can be bought very low (page 2).
1873 Advertisement in the “Denver Times.” listing for Landis & Witter.
Landis & Witter placed a series of advertisements in the Denver Daily Times during Dec. 1873 and Jan. 1874, advertising,
“Trees. Trees. Trees.
Denver Nursery,
Landis & Witter, Prop’s,
Have now on hand a well-assorted stock of hardy Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Vines, Plants &c. all Colorado grown, which we are selling, for spring delivery at PANIC PRICES.
STREET TREES A SPECIALTY.
Reserve your orders for our agent, who will call on you soon. Nursery head of Ferry st., West Denver. Office, Good’s Block, No. 252 16th st.”
They were still living together at 186 Larimer when the 1874 Denver Directory was published:
Landis, Perry (Landis & Witter), r. 186 Larimer.
Witter, Daniel, abstracts of title, lawyer, real estate, etc., 252 16th, r 186 Larimer.
The firm of Daniel & Witter was short-lived, only lasting until the summer of 1874, On June 14, 1874, in the Rocky Mountain News announced:
“Dissolution Notice!
The co partnership heretofore existing between the undersigned in this day dissolved by mutual consent. Perry Landis
Daniel Witter
Denver, CO. June 10, 1874” (page 1).
When their partnership was dissolved, each immediately invested in another business opportunity. Witter partnered with William D. Todd to establish the law firm of Witter & Todd, located in Witter’s offices at 252 16th street, near Larimer. At the same time, Landis partnered with Wright F. Kelsey (1828-1902) to establish Kelsey & Landis, a firm that manufactured lighting rods.
Prior to partnering with Landis, Kelsey was the sole proprietor for the Lightning rod Company. His lightning rod advertisements in the “Denver Daily Times” listed “W. F. Kelsey as Proprietor of the Patent Right for Colorado.”
Landis partnered with Kelsey in early July to establish Kelsey & Landis. On July 9, 1874, the “Denver Daily Times” advertised:
LIGHTNING.
Protect Your House
By the
Cable Lighting Rod.
You will place them upon my house at your earliest convenience – Cyrus W. Field
I agree with others in their approval – Sam’l F. B. Morse
I entirely approve of your rod – Benj. Stillman. KELSEY & LANDIS,
Proprietors of Patent Rights for Colorado
[Address through Denver P. O.]
Rods erected at short notice. All work warranted.
Also, Marble and Marbleized Slate Mantels, Weather Vanes, and Iron Cresting furnished to order at lower prices.”
Their partnership was also short-lived, lasting less than a month. On August 14, 1874, the “Denver Daily Times” announced,
“Dissolution of Co Partnership.
Denver, July 29, 1874 – Notice is hereby given that the firm of Kelsey & Landis, in business of selling lightning rods, has this day been dissolved by mutual consent. All outstanding accounts to be paid to W. F. Kelsey, except notes mentioned in receipts dated July 29, 1874.
W. F. Kelsey
Perry Landis”
(page 1).
Landis established another lighting rod company in August, partnering with Samuel Seth Landon (1842-1918) and William David Todd (1846-1919). Yes, this is the same Todd who partnered with Witter to establish a law firm two months earlier.
1876 listing Landon and Todd. Both worked for Daniel Witter.
Landis’ new firm with Todd and Landon was initially listed in the City Directory as “Lightning Rod Co., Perry Landis & Co., props.” It was also advertised as “Perry Landis & Co.”
Listing in 1875 Corbette Hoye and Co. Directory, Denver, Colorado.
1875 listing for Perry Landis & Co. in the Denver Directory.
Lightning rods were big business at this time, preying on people’s fear. Advertisement promised that protection by “controlling Mother Nature’s wrath.” On July 25, 1874, The Colorado Daily Chieftain reported, “The lightning rod men are busy in Denver since the recent storm. Cases of insanity among the citizens will soon be reported” (page 2). Lightning rod salesmen soon ran the gamut, and some were referred to as “swindlers”, peddling a product that did not work. Newspapers evened cautioned citizens about these poor imitations, urging “every owner of a house or barn to examine his lightning rods, and if not found in order to pull them down” (The Rocky Mountain Daily News, August 4, 1874, page 3). Despite the bad press, the sale of lightning rods was big business in areas with severe weather. Here is a link to Herman Melville’s short story, “The Lightning-Rod Man,” published in the August 1854 edition of Putnam’s Monthly Magazine: https://www.101bananas.com/library2/lightningrod.html
When Perry Landis & Co. was established, Todd and Landon were investors. Landis was the salesman. I am taking a moment to explore the life of Landis’ business partner William D. Todd, as it provides context for the firm.
Portrait of William D. Todd
Hon. William D. Todd’s biography was included in The History of the City of Denver, Arapahoe County and Colorado:
Mr. Todd, Cashier and Secretary of the Denver Safe Deposit and Savings Bank, has been a resident of Denver since 1873. He was born in the city of Philadelphia in 1846, and, at an early age, accompanied his parents to Greensburg, Penn., where his father died shortly after the war. He then removed to Washington, D.C., receiving a public-school education, and, in 1857, was appointed a page in the House of Representatives. He remained at the capitol up to 1873, the last ten years as Private Secretary to Hon. Schuyler Colfax, during his terms as Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice President of the United States. In the meantime, he graduated from the Columbia College Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He kept up his law studies, practicing in Pennsylvania during the vacations of Congress, and, in 1872, was admitted to the practice in the Supreme Court of the United States. As above stated, he came to Denver in 1873, and engaged in the practice of his profession. Since 1874, he has been Cashier and Secretary of the Denver Safe Deposit and Savings Bank, of which he was one of the incorporators. During the past year he has been Secretary of the Platte Water Company for several years. He is also Treasurer of the St. Louis and Denver Land and Mining Company, and Secretary of the Board of Education since 1876. He was a member of the State Legislature of 1879 and was active in the business session. Declining to be a candidate for the Speakership of the House, he was chosen Speaker pro tem., and also served as Chairman of the Committees on Public Lands and Rules, and is a member of the Committees on Judiciary, Appropriations and Education. Among the measures introduced by him was the ‘Bill for Encouraging the Formation of a State Historical and Natural History Society,’ of which society he was chosen Treasurer. Mr. Todd is a leading member of the Masonic Fraternity, and holds offices of trust in Union Lodge No. 7, Denver Chapter No. 2, and Colorado Commandery No. 1, K. T. He is also the Grand Treasurer of the Grand Chapter and Grand Commandery. He was married in Denver in 1875. Few men in Denver have, in so short a time, been so thoroughly identified with the interested of the city and State, and no one has acquired a more enviable reputation as a thorough businessman and a wide-awake, enterprising citizen. (page 678)
Landis’ other business partner, Samuel Seth Landon (1842-1918), was a notary public with Daniel Witter, residing at Curtis, se cor. 16th. Both Todd and Landon were working for Witter, Landis’ first business partner in Denver.
Looking at the names, addresses, and businesses, in the City Directory made me think of a shell game. You never knew who exactly was establishing or dissolving a business, but the same people were always involved. This tactic would follow Landis to Chicago after he partnered with Sosman. Sosman and Landis would continue to invest and establish a variety of In Denver, Landis, Witter, Todd, and Landon all lived and worked together, and around, one other. Landis & Witter’s nursery offices were located at 252 16th street in 1874. The law firm of Witter & Todd was located at 252 16th in 1874. This address was located between Larimer and Holladay streets.
In Denver, Landis published a series of advertisements that described the merits of his lightning rod product. On August 22, 1874, the following informative article appeared in the “Denver Daily Times” –
“Lightning Storms.
The number of these storms during the present season has been greater than we have ever experienced here, and each storm has resulted in more or less damage. The number of houses struck the warnings to our citizens to use every precaution to save their buildings, and perhaps loves, in the future. We therefore desire to call the attention of our citizens to the improved Electro-Magnetic, or Cable Lighting Rod. This lightning rod has been tested and is recommended by such eminent names as Cyrus Field, Prof. Morse, and a host of others.
The advantages claimed for this rod are: It has no joints or couplings; it will not corrode; it is strong and durable; it has fixtures of the most approved patterns and quality; it has an unequalled conducting surface; it has the approval of our highest scientific authorities; it has been tested for over sixteen years; it never fails. Perry Landis & Co. are general agents for this rod, and their principal office is at the corner of 15th and Lawrence streets, McClelland’s block.”
I was fascinated to read that Perry Landis & Co. was the only lightning rod dealer listed in the 1875 Corbett, Hoye & Co. Denver City Directory. His firm peppered local newspapers with advertisements throughout 1874 and the beginning of 1875.
[insert ad images]
On May 15, 1875, “The Rocky Mountain News” published the last news about Landis’ firm:
“Notice.
The firm of Perry Landis & Co., take this opportunity of returning their thanks to Mr. Julius Pearce, chief engineer of the fire department, and Mr. Thos. Clayton, foreman, and members of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, for their valuable assistance, and loan of their ladders, in the erection of the lightning conductor on the smokestack of Holly water works, to-day, Perry Landis & Co. Denver, May 14, 1875” (page 4).
As with Landis & Witter and Kelsey & Landis, the firm of Perry Landis & Co. did not last long. On May 29, 1875, the dissolution of the firm, dated May 14, 1875, was published in the Denver Times:
“The firm of Perry Landis & Co. was this day dissolved by mutual consent. Either partner will pay any outstanding debts. Perry, Landis, Sam S. Landon and William D. Todd. Denver, May 14, 1875”
On May 29, 1875, the Denver Daily Times announced, “Dissolution notice. The firm of Perry Landis & Co. was this day dissolved by mutual consent. Either partner will pay any outstanding debts. Perry Landis, Sam S. Landon and William D. Todd, Denver May 14, 1875” (page 2).
Prior to the dissolution of the firm that spring, Landis visited Fairfield, Iowa.
On March 18, 1875, the Fairfield Ledger reported, “Perry Landis has been spending a few days with his many friends in Fairfield.”
Landis was mentioned again in the Fairfield Ledger, a separate notice that stated, “Davey Beck leaves for Denver to-day in company with Perry Landis. He goes to remain some time.”
Portrait of David Beck
David Beck (1853-1938) was the son of long-time Fairfield residents, and local merchants, William G. Beck (1819-1901) and Margaret Ramsay Beck (1824-1908). Like the Landis family, the Beck family moved west to Fairfield in the late 1840’s.
Years later, Davey Beck’s obituary in The Missoulian reported, “Born in Fairfield, Iowa, he came to Montana in 1880 to Alder Gulch and in 1895 came to Missoula” (10 June 1938, p. 16). The obituary continued, “Mr. Beck was one of the best known insurance men in Montana for many years. For 30 years he was a state agent for the Banker’s Life Insurance company here. He left Missoula nearly 20 years ago for California.” His grandmother, Sarah Beck, and Abraham Lincoln were mentioned in a section of William G. Beck’s obituary, published in The Fairfield Ledger on January 30, 1901. This tie to the Lincoln family is worthy of inclusion at this point:
‘While Mr. BECK’s memory was rich in recollections of pioneer life, and he always knew his story and told it well, there were none of his reminiscences more interesting than those of Springfield, Ill. His mother, Mrs. Sarah BECK, kept a tavern in the early days at Wheeling and engaged in the same business at Springfield, Ill. She was a woman of unusual energy and much executive ability, and any house she operated was certain of the best possible patronage. At Springfield her hotel was the scene of many a notable gathering of Illinois politicians in the early ’40’s, and there were times when as much legislation was transacted within its walls as in the capitol itself. When Abraham LINCOLN married Mary TODD he had just established himself in practice as a lawyer at Springfield, after several terms of service in the legislature, and he and his wife made their home with Mrs. BECK. Robert TODD LINCOLN, the only surviving child of the martyr president, was born beneath her roof August 1st, 1843, and she aided in ushering him into the world. There was a warm intimacy between the family of the great statesman and that of his landlady, and the BECKs were very familiar with the domestic life of the LINCOLNs and with the peculiarities of Mr. LINCOLN. On Mr. BECK’s mind, of course, the drolleries of Mr. LINCOLN made the greatest impression, and he always had a fund of LINCOLN stories at his command, many of which have never found their way into print.” Landis returned to Iowa that summer, and on Aug 19, 1875, the Fairfield Ledger announced, “Perry Landis is with us again – and from Colorado” (page 5).
Landis returned to Iowa that summer, and on Aug 19, 1875, the Fairfield Ledger announced, “Perry Landis is with us again – and from Colorado” (page 5). This is just prior to Joseph Sosman’s arrival in Fairfield to paint scenery at Semon’s Opera House.
Perry was the eighth of twelve children born to Henry H. Landis (1809-1893) and Catherine Johnston Landis (1817-1902). He was the third Landis brother to fight for the Union.
In 1860, the following children were living at the Landis farm in Steady Run Township, Iowa: David (21 yrs.), Jacob (19 yrs.), Joseph (16 yrs.), Perry (12 yrs.), James H. (8 yrs.), Edgar (6 yrs.), Franklin (3 yrs.) and Charles (2 yrs.). Their eldest daughter, Mary, and son, John lived in nearby Martinsburg.
Martinsburg was less than two miles south of Steady Run Township, Iowa.
Between 1860 and 1863, three of the Landis children passed away.
On Dec. 18, 1860, 9-yrs.-old son, James Henry Landis, and was buried in Martinsburg Cemetery.
The gravestone of James H. Landis in Martinsburg Cemetery.
On Jan. 1, 1861, their 29-yrs.-old daughter, Mary Ann Landis Marshall, also died. She was buried near her brother in Martinsburg Cemetery.
Gravestone of Mary Landis Marshall in Martinsburg Cemetery.
Then came the Civil War, with four of the Landis sons enlisting in the Union Army. On Jan. 8, 1863, both John and David Landis were severely injured in battle, with 23-yrs.-old David passing away that December.
Gravestone of David Landis in Martinsburg Cemetery.
War and death loomed over the Landis’ Iowa home.
Five of the eight Landis sons were old enough to fight in the Civil War. Only Edgar, Frank, and Charles were too young to fight.
John, David, Jacob and Perry Landis all enlisted in the Union Army. John Landis was the first to enlist, rapidly rising through the ranks for his heroic actions. He must have been a tough act to follow; a courageous risk-taker who made the headlines for his bravery. By 1863, both John and his younger brother David were in the same regiment and severely wounded in Springfield, Missouri.
The same year that John and David mustered out of the Iowa Infantry, Jacob and Perry mustered into the Ohio Infantry and Indiana Infantry, respectively. Only Joseph managed to avoid combat. Although he registered for military service alongside David and Jacob in Steady Run, Iowa, he did not serve. I have yet to locate any records verifying that he enlisted at all.
Here is what I have been able to track down for each of the four Landis brothers who fought in the Civil War.
18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
John Landis
John Landis was 27 yrs. old when he enlisted on June 13, 1861. He joined Co. I, 1st Iowa Calvary, and was promoted to first battalion quartermaster by October 8, 1861. John became a Captain in Co. D, 18th Iowa Infantry, on June 6, 1862. He was promoted after capturing the Rebel flag during the Battle of Blackwater in Missouri. I was shocked to find one of his descendants post a picture of the flag he captured online.
Rebel flag captured by Quartermaster John Landis at the Battle of Blackwater in Dec. 1861. Photograph by Lester Letson and posted at findagrave.com on July 6, 2012.
On Jan. 8, 1863, John was severely wounded during battle in Springfield, Missouri. His bravery was described in the Daily Ohio Statesman on Feb 24, 1863 (page 1):
“An Incident of the Battle of Springfield.
I must close third letter with an incident of the battle of Springfield, which deserves accord. Captains Landis, Van Meter, and Blue of the 18th Iowa, were all with that unfortunate brass cannon, which then fell into the hands of rebels. All three were shot. Two have since died, but Capt. Landis happily survives. It is said that Captain Landis stood by the gun, deserted by all else, when rebels took possession, determined never to surrender. Major Bowman, of the Confederate army, approached at the head of his men. Touched with a sense of the man’s chivalry, he cried: ‘Surrender!’
‘Never!’ said Captain Landis. ‘I was here first. Never!’
The Major seized a rifle and fired, carrying away the Captain’s shoulder strap. The Captain returned the compliment and wounded Major Bowman so severely that he has since died. Captain Landis himself fell at the next fire, and the dying Major sent him this message, as he lay dying upon his bed: ‘Tell Captain Landis,’ said he, ‘that I am gratified to have fallen by the hand of so brave a man.’ It seems that the age of chivalry is not yet passed. –Springfield (Mo.) Cor. St. Louis Republican.”
John mustered out on Feb 28, 1863, in St. Louis, Missouri; resigning, and listing his residence as Martinsburg, Iowa. After the war, John moved west, spending the remainder of his life in Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington State. He returned to life on a farm. Despite living so far away from his family, John named his three sons after the brothers he left behind:
Perry John Landis
John Albert Landis
Joseph Franklin Landis
I have located only one newspaper article that mentioned John’s return to the Midwest. On March 16, 1882, the Fairfield Tribune announced, John Landis, a citizen of Fairfield twenty years ago, was in the city this week” (page 3).
John passed away in 1915, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Tacoma, Washington. His obituary was published in the Tacoma Daily Ledger on April 28, 1915 (page 5):
“John A. Landis, age 80, died Monday night at a local hospital. He was a veteran of the Civil War and was severely wounded at Springfield, Mo. Mr. Landis enlisted June 13, 1861, in Company I, 1st Iowa Calvary, and was promoted to first battalion quartermaster October 7, 1861. He was appointed captain of Company D, 18th Iowa Infantry, June 6, 1862. He resigned February 28, 1863, after being wounded. Mr. Landis had lived at Puyallup a year, coming from Olympia and Orting. He was a member of Tacoma Post of Olympia. Custer post of Tacoma will have charge of the funeral, the date which will be announced later. Besides his widow, he is survived by two sons, Joseph and Perry Landis. The body is at the C. C. Mellinger company’s.”
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18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry
David Landis
David Landis was the second to fight, joining the Union Army two years after John. He was living in Martinsburg, Iowa, when he enlisted on Aug. 15, 1862. Martinsburg is the same town where his sister Mary passed away in 1860. At 24 yrs. old, he mustered in as a Private in Co. D, 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, on August 23, 1862. This was the same regiment where John served as a Capt. of the first Cavalry. The 18th Regiment arrived in Springfield, Missouri, on September 13, 1862. He participated in the Defense of Springfield from and was wounded in battle on Jan. 8, 1863, and included in the list “Iowa Soldiers Killed and Wounded at the Battle of Springfield, Missouri, Jan. 8th,” On Jan. 30, 1863, the Muscatine Weekly News announced, “David Landis, D, 18th – right hip and leg, slight” (page 2). He never recovered from the injuries and passed away on Dec. 20, 1863.
Both John and his younger brother David Landis were listed in the “Army Correspondence” section of the Burlington Daily Hawk Eye Gazette on Jan. 22, 1863 (page 2). In the section entitled “Camp of the 18th Iowa, Fort No. 1, Springfield, Missouri, Jan. 10th, 1863,” a detailed account of the battle was included, along with a listing of those killed or wounded with each of the companies. The article reported,
“Company D.- Killed, none. Capt. John A. Landis, wounded in the calf of the leg, severely; private David Landis, calf of the leg and thigh, severely.”
Although John mustered out on Feb. 28, David was not mustered out until May 8, with “wounds” being the reason for his release. David returned home to Martinsburg, but never fully recovered and died from complications on Dec. 20, 1863. He was buried in the same Martinsburg Cemetery as his older sister Mary.
Joseph Landis did not serve in the Iowa Infantry but was twice listed in Iowa records as a person subject to military duty in Steady Run Township; once in 1863 at the age of 18 yrs. old (Jackson County), and once in 1864 at the age of 19 yrs. old in (Keokuk County). If any new information comes to light, I will update this post.
131st Ohio Infantry
Jacob H. Landis
Jacob H. Landis was listed in Ohio’s Third Congressional District Civil War Draft Registration Record on July 11, 1863, This district included the counties of Montgomery, Preble, Butler, and Warren. At 21 yrs. old, Jacob his occupation as a carpenter in Randolph. He entered military service on May 2, 1864, mustering in as a Private with Company K, 131st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This regiment was organized at Camp Chase on May 14, 1864, with the intent to serve for 100 days. They were immediately sent to Baltimore, Maryland, where they were assigned to garrison duty at Forts McHenry, Fort Marshall, and Fort Federal Hill. The regiment remained at the forts until August 19, when the soldiers were sent back to Columbus, Ohio, arriving on Aug. 21, 1864. Landis mustered out on Aug. 25, 1864, at Camp Chase.
116th Regiment, Indiana Infantry
Perry Landis
Perry Landis enlisted in the Indiana Infantry at Lafayette and was mustered in on August 12, 1863. For geographical context, Lafayette is located approximately halfway in between Chicago and Indianapolis. Landis mustered out a second time out on March 1, 1864. Landis served as a private in Co. F of the 116th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. Perry when he served as a private in Co. F, 116th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. This places him in Lafayette, Indiana, by the spring of 1863. After the war, Perry returned to the Fairfield area of Iowa, soon settling in Ottumwa, a town 25 miles west of Fairfield. In 1867, he purchased property there. The sale was reported in the Ottumwa Semi-Weekly Courier on Nov. 28, 1867 (page 3). For $1500, Landis purchased “pts w se sec 29, tp 72, r 13” from T. Devin.” On Sept. 24, 1868, The OttumwaCourier listed Perry Landis in the “Register of Voters of Center Township, Wapello County, Iowa, for 1868” (page 3).
Buying land did not necessarily mean that Perry was ready to settle down. He soon ventured east to briefly worked as a news agent in Ohio. He was listed in the 1868 Cincinnati Directory, rooming as 137 Race.
Perry Landis listed in the 1868 Cincinnati Directory.
Perry was also was listed in the unclaimed letter section of the Cincinnati Commercial on April 5 and April 12, 1868. By 1869, he was living with his parents in Connersville, Indiana.
Like Perry, Jacob also returned to Iowa after the war. In Fairfield he opened a watch and clock repair shop at the northeast corner of Park. By 1866, he began placed a series of advertisements in the Fairfield Ledger for his new business. On October 25, 1866, his ad announced:
“Have you got a watch or clock that won’t keep time? If you have, take it to Jacob Landis, North-east corner of the Park, and for a reasonable compensation, he will put it in first0rate working order. If you wish to have a piece of gold or silver manufactures into a particular pattern, he can accommodate you Call and try him. See card” (Fairfield Ledger, page 5).
Like his brothers, “Jake” continued to travel throughout the region; his comings and goings noted in local papers. On Feb. 27, 1868, the “Fairfield Ledger” reported, “Back Again. – Jake Landis is a sensible fellow and good workman. He is a good fellow, because he likes Fairfield better than any other place, he has seen during the last six months. And he is a good workman, because he can clean a watch as well as any man who has tried in our city for years – He has hung out his sign at his old stand in F. M. Stewart’s store and will repair clocks, watches, jewelry, &c., in the best manner and on the lowest terms. See his card” (page 6).
Advertisement placed by Jacob Landis in the “Fairfield Ledger” on June 25, 1868.
In addition to running his shop in Fairfield, he also invested in a new product – the ready binder.
On June 4, 1868, the Fairfield Ledger announced, “A Ready Binder. – The Covert File and Binder, patented by Landis & Co., of St. Louis, is just the thing for persons who wish to preserve their pamphlets and papers. Any person can readily bind his own books and preserve them in good style. J. Landis, of our town, has the agency for Iowa, and will sell county and individual rights on the most favorable terms. Covers for Godey, Peterson, Harper, sheet music, and the weekly papers, sold at reasonable process. Every family that takes a magazine ought to have one of more of these binders. Persons desiring rights should address J. Landis, Fairfield, Iowa” (page 6).
I have yet to locate any information about the firm “Landis & Co.” in St. Louis. The ready binder, however, was short-lived. Jake continued to place ads for his repair business in the Fairfield Ledger (June 25, 1868, p. 6).
Despite Perry owning property in Ottumwa, Iowa, and Jacob managing his repair shop in Fairfield, Iowa, both relocated to Indiana in 1869. They were following their parents and helping out at the new farm. In 1868 Henry, Catherine and their younger children moved east, purchasing a vineyard just south of Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana.
Map showing the location of Connersville, Indiana, in relation to Indianapolis, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Their return east was likely instigated by Henry’s 88-yrs.-old mother. Perry and Jacob moved to Connersville where they again worked for their father on his farm. The only difference was that Henry now raised grapes. I was fascinated to learn that this region of Indiana is considered the “birthplace of the American wine industry. The first successful winery was founded by a Swiss immigrant around 1806. Here is a link for more information about the history of Indiana Wine Trail: https://www.indianawinetrail.com/history
On April 8, 1868, Henry Landis began placing advertisements in the Connersville Weekly Times (page 2):
Attention.
I offer for sale, 1,500 Concord, Hartford, Prolifie, and Delaware Grape vines, one year old, in fine thrifty condition. Apply at the farm formerly owned by Job Stout, two and a half miles south of Connersville. By that winter, Henry Landis divested himself of all property in Fairfield. On Dec. 16, 1868, the Weekly Ledger announced the following real estate transfer: “N. MENDENHALL from H. H. LANDIS and wife, lot 2, block 15, old plat of Fairfield. deed dated August 14, 1868. 1,300 00.”
I was only familiar with the common Concord grape as I read the advertisement.
The common Concord grape.
In case you are wondering, the Hartford grape variety is an American red grape, also known as Framingham grapes. The Delaware grape is hybrid popularized in Delaware City, Ohio, also an American red grape. I have yet to identify the “Prolifie” grape and have begun to wonder if it was a misprint.
Henry’s new vineyard brought him very close to his aging mother and sisters. Henry’s mother, Elizabeth Landis Moss was then living with her daughter Elizabeth McWhorter in Blooming Grove, just 13 miles south of Connersville. As Landis’ new vineyard was on the southside of Connersville, this distance was even shorter that.
Map showing the relatively short distance between Connersville and Blooming Grove, Indiana. Nearby Liberty (top right corner of map) was where Joseph Landis lived and worked.
The 1860 U. S. Federal Census had listed 82-yrs.-old Elizabeth Moss living with her 73-yrs.-old husband, John Moss, on a farm in Blooming Grove, valued at $6,120. When John passed away on Oct. 22, 1862, Elizabeth Moss went to live with her widowed daughter, Elizabeth McWhorter. The 1870 US Census listed Moss as still part of the McWhorter household in Blooming Grove. At the time, Moss was 91 yrs. old and living with the one child who truly understood her past struggles. Both mother and daughter had outlived two husbands. Elizabeth Moss had been widowed while pregnant with David Landis’ fourth child in 1814. For the next four years she struggled as a single parent, raising her four small children. In 1818, she married John Moss; a union that resulted in the birth of their only child, Phebe Moss.
Elizabeth McWhorter was also married twice and widowed as a young woman. She first married Thomas Ellis, and the two celebrated the birth of five children. After his passing, she married Samuel H. McWhorter. Their union also resulted in the birth of a single child, Perry L. McWhorter. Both women lived to be 92 yrs. old, with Elizabeth Moss passing in 1871 and her daughter following in 1906. Each was an amazingly strong and independent woman. In fact, I was surprised to discover that at the age of 91-yrs.-old, Elizabeth Moss purchased a property in Connersville. On Sept. 22, 1869, the Connersville Examiner announced the following real estate transaction: “Lemuel R. Webb to Elizabeth Moss, nw qr of sec 31, town 15, range 13, $1,000” (page 3). For context, $1,000 in 1869 has the equivalent purchasing power as $22,306.10 in 2023. Keep in mind that the Moss family farm had been valued at $6120 in 1860 (the equivalent purchasing power of $223,684.53 in 2023). Unless everything was lost at the time of her husband’s passing or during the Civil War, Elizabeth Moss likely left a large estate for her children and grandchildren.
Portrait of Elizabeth McWhoterlate in life.
The passing of Elizabeth Moss on June 21, 1871, sparked another relocation Landis family members. Her burial at Sims-Brier Cemetery in Old Bath, Franklin County, signaled the end of an era for her kin. Her descendants began to look toward their own futures, released from the caretaking ties that bind. Henry H. Landis left farming entirely and moved work as a merchant in Rushville, following in the footsteps of his sons.
It certainly made sense, as he was now in his 60s. Working the land becomes an insurmountable task unless you have a young and fit labor pool. Such was not the case for Henry Landis by the early 1870s. It became increasingly apparent that his sons were not going to work the family farm.
Joseph was a prime example. Although Jacob and Perry returned to help sell produce at the family vineyard in 1869, Joseph continued to work as a jeweler in nearby Liberty, Indiana. Keep in in mind that David Landis (their paternal grandfather) was laid to rest in Liberty in 1814. The family had deep ties to the area for several decades at this point.
On March 9, 1869, Joe placed an advertisement in the Liberty Herald announcing:
“Joseph Landis,
Watchmaker and Jeweler, Liberty, Ind. Special attention given to repairing watches, clocks, and jewelry of all kinds. Will be found at Sam Sterling’s Grocery Store. Work warranted for one year” (page 2).
Joseph eventually moved his business to the northeast corner of Main and Union Streets in Liberty. He became extremely well known and respected as a merchant in the area and remained there for almost two decades.
Advertisement placed in the “Liberty Herald” on March 19, 1869.
Advertisement placed in the “Liberty Herald” on May 20, 1875.
In 1869, Joseph Landis made frequent travels from Liberty to Connersville, visiting his grandmother, parents, and siblings. On Sept. 1, 1869, the Connersville Examiner announced, “Jo. Landis, Esq., formerly of your lovely city, is here enjoying life, repairs, watches, sells jewelry, and occasionally drives fine horses, and has setting by his side in his fine buggy as dear a creature as ever wore charms.
Love is a passion by no rule confined,
The great first mover of Joseph’s mind.
I believe Jo will marry, if the girl will, and
They’ll both be well mated in life.
She’ll have a good man for a husband
And he’ll have a charming wife.
Joe married a local Liberty girl two years later. He and Prudence Mae Hughes were united in marriage on Oct. 19, 1871. He remained in the area for quite some time, frequently making the news for the next two decades. For example, on Oct. 30, 1872, the Liberty Herald reported, “It was a nice job of white washing which Jos. Landis did the other day with his little brush” (page 3). On Sept. 23, 1874, the Liberty Herald reported, “Joe. Landis has been having his storeroom very much repaired and is now re-established in it, and has brought on a new stock of choice jewelry. Persons desiring to purchase jewelry are respectfully requested to give him a call” (page 3).
All the while, Joseph continued to gain business savvy and leadership skills. These became a great asset once he began working for his brother at Sosman & Landis. On July 22, 1875, the Liberty Herald reported, “The street drains have been cleaned in some places the past week, and this has added very much to the appearance and good drainage of the town. Joe. Landis was prime mover and worker in the improvement. His incentive may have been the anticipated arrival of his first child. In 1875, Joseph and Prudence celebrated the birth Kathryn E. Landis. This was the same year that he helped sell his father’s vineyard in Connersville.
On Sept. 30, 1875, the Liberty Herald published the following announcement:
“Farm for Sale.
The finest Fruit Farm in Fayette county, at a bargain. 3,000 Grape Vines; other fruit in proportion; Hedge Fence around the entire farm. Every foot tillable land, second bottom. Offered at a great bargain. Address JOE. LANDIS, Liberty, Ind.” (page 3).
Joe continued to gain ground as a successful merchant in Liberty. On Feb. 20, 1889, the Connersville Examiner reported, “Joe Landis, leading jeweler of Liberty, was over yesterday afternoon, making inquiries about our gymnasium. Some time ago Liberty boasted a gymnasium, but like many other places, it was allowed to go down, and now they want to dispose of the paraphernalia, hence Mr. Landis’ visit to our city” (page 3). It was not until the 1890s that he sold everything in Indiana and moved to Chicago to help his brother Perry. His move says a lot about the Landis family, as well as the scenic studio industry that he was investing in. When Joseph moved to Chicago, he worked at the firm as an electrical engineer, later establishing and managing the American Reflector & Lighting Co., established by the Landis brothers and Joe Sosman.
After his grandmother’s passing, Jacob Landis returned to Iowa and married Fannie E. Russell, a local Ottumwa girl. Their marriage was announced on Oct. 9, 1873, in the Ottumwa Semi-Weekly Courier (page 3):
“LANDIS-RUSSELL – At Samuel Harper’s residence, in this city, today, by the Rev. H. B. Knight. Mr. Jacob Landis, of Connersville, Ind., to Miss Fannie Russell, of Ottumwa.” He continued in the jewelry trade, eventually moving west and settling in California.
As for Perry…
Despite relocating to Connersville and working for his father in 1869, he also embarked on a new business endeavor with a gentleman named Samuel M. Zent (1834-1897). Zent was a tinsmith in nearby Roanoke who invented a machine that dehydrated fruits and vegetables. At the time, it was referred to as a Drying Stove or Dry house. The partnership of Landis & Zent marks the beginning of Perry’s career as a sales. As a salesman, Landis traveled throughout the region, selling both his father’s fruit and Zent’s Dryhouse. On May 26, 1869, The Indiana Weekly Herald of Huntington reported. “Messrs. Landis & Zent are this year engaged in the manufacture of a very useful contrivance for drying fruit and baking. It consists of a large sheet iron box, with a small heating stove at the bottom. The box, or upper part, is filled by sliding shelves so made that the heat from the stove can pass through the various shelves and fill the box. Arrangements are made so as to regulate the amount of heat. This Dryhouse has been thoroughly tested and is found to work admirably in drying fruit and as an outdoor bake oven. No farmer who has much fruit to preserve, should be without one” (page 3). Zent patented his invention in Indiana that fall. On Oct. 21, 1869, the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette published a list of U. S. patents issued to Citizens of Indiana for the week ending Oct. 12, 1869, including “No. 95,726 – Baking and Drying Stove; F. S. Reefy and S. M. Zent, Roanoke” (page 4). Perry continued to travel that fall and was listed in the gentleman’s list of unclaimed letters in the Terre Haute Weekly Express on Nov. 10, 1869, page 8.
Portrait of Samuel M. Zent.
Landis possibly met Zent during the Civil War. Zent was a Colonel in the Thirteenth Indiana Volunteers. Landis was with the 131st Regiment, Indiana Infantry. I was surprised to find an article Zent published in an Indiana newspaper. On Oct. 16, 1861, The Indiana Herald reported, “We have one man who is worth his weight in pure gold. He has run more risks in scouting and done more hard service than any four men in the Company, and that too without murmur. He is always pleasant and cheerful, kind to the sick, and always performing some generous act for those in need. His name is Samuel Zent. He is just the man for the service, and deserves promotion” (page 2). Years later, Zent’s obituary announced, “Samuel Zent died very suddenly at Roanoke, Huntington county, a day or two ago. Previous to the war he was a resident of Warsaw, and engaged in the tinning business here When war broke out, he enlisted at an early day and finally became the colonel of the regiment known as the ‘Fighting Thirteenth,’ and remaining such until the close of the war. In the younger days of both, he was a warm and personal friend and chum of the editor of this paper. He was a brave and gallant solider and enjoyed a reputation as such throughout the Army of the Potomoc.” On. Nov. 27. 1869, the Fort Wayne Gazette announced in “News from Neighboring Towns, Roanoke” that “Sam Zent has gone on a pleasure trip to the west” (page 4). Many veterans, including the Landis brothers, ventured west in the years that followed the war.
Perry continued to sporadically work at his father’s vineyard, especially during the planting and harvest season. On September 21, 1870, The Connersville Examiner listed Perry Landis in the “Fruits” section as selling the “best and greatest variety of grapes.” That fall, Perry entered some of their produce in the Fayette County Fair. In the “Fruits” section of the article “Premiums Awarded at the Fayette County Fair,” Perry Landis was recognized for “best and greatest variety of grapes” (page 1).
The 1870 U. S. Federal Census listed that the Landis household in Connersville as including Henry Landis (63 yrs.), Catharine Landis (52 yrs.), Jacob Landis (28 yrs.), Perry Landis (21 yrs.), Edward Landis (17 yrs.), Francis Landis (14 yrs.), Charles Landis (11 yrs.), and Hetta Morrison (13 yrs.). Again, during this time Joseph Landis was living in Liberty, Union County, Indiana, and John Landis was living out west.
The family vineyard was soon known as H. H. Landis & Son, grape and small fruit growers. I have no idea who was the “son,” but there were five sons working the land. Local newspapers repeatedly carried Landis’ advertisements for grape vines sales. On September 21, 1870, the Connersville Times announced:
“Grape Vines! Grape Vines! – TenThousand Concord Grape Vines for sale at a reasonable rates.
H. H. Landis,
(P. O. Box 132) Connersville, Ind. (page 3).”
Advertisement placed by Henry H. Landis in the “Connersville Times” on Sept. 21, 1870.
The Connersville Examiner also carried the same advertisements throughout October 1870, including Oct. 12, 1870 (page 3).
On September 28, 1870, the Connersville Times reported, (page 3):
“Grapes! Grapes! Grapes!
Ten thousand pounds of choice Concord grapes for sale! Also, ten thousand vines of the above-named variety, for sale at reasonable rates. All offers left at the P. O. Box will receive prompt attention. Vines will be delivered either in Fall or Spring. Address all orders to
H. H. Landis
P. O. Box 103 Connersville, Ind.”
These advertisements continued until the following spring. On March 29, 1871, the Connersville Times announced:
“Grape Vines! Grape Vines!
All persons wanting grape vines of the leading varieties such as Concord, Prolifie, Delaware, Ives, Clinton, Iona, Martha, Salem, and others, should bear in mind that we have a splendid stock of the above and other varieties, which we are selling reasonable and warranting, also a fine lot of Raspberry plants, including Doolittle, Black Cap, Davison, Thornless and Mammoth cluster. Our day of delivering in Connersville is April 10th. Remember the day and leave orders at Pratts’.
Two hundred bottles of Concord grape wine for sale.
H. H. Landis & Son grape and small fruit growers, Connersville, Ind.
P. O. Box 132.
Vineyard two miles south of Connersville” (page 3).
By the summer of 1871, however, Perry Landis was selling grapes under his own name. On Aug. 18, 1871, the New Castle Courier of New Castle, Indiana (page 5) listed:
“Perry Landis.
1st Variety grapes, 2 00”
Perry Landis’ listing in the “New Castle Courier” on May 25, 1871.
Perry also purchased property in Indianapolis, Indiana, suggesting a definitive break from the family business. On June 21, 1871, the Indianapolis News reported the following real estate transfer: “Sarah A Hall and husband to Perry Landis, lot 38, 2d Brookside sub, $1250” (page 4). Despite the purchase, Perry soon left the region, heading west to Colorado. In short, he followed his older brother John.
This post continues my prequel to the establishment of Sosman & Landis, a Chicago scenic studio that delivered stage scenery to more than 6000 theaters between 1880 and 1902. In addition to painted scenery, the firm also manufactured stage machinery and lighting systems. They outfitted a variety of performance venues throughout North America and overseas.
In my quest to fully understand the innerworkings of the studio and the various personalities employed there, I wrote 113 staff biographies.
I also began to zoom in on the early life and career of Joe Sosman. Sosman was a scenic artist and visionary for the firm.
Here are my three previous posts about Sosman’s early life and career:
Perry Landis brought a substantial amount of business knowledge to their partnership. He was a skilled salesman, who intimately understood successful marketing . Landis was also very well connected throughout the midwestern and western states.
Sosman met Landis in 1875. At the time both were closely connected to Fairfield, Iowa. Sosman had just painted scenery for the new opera house, assisted by stage carpenter and scene painter J. C. Blaine. Sosman and Blaine extended their stay in Fairfield that fall to complete several other projects for local businesses.
Landis had deep ties to the Fairfield area, with three of brothers born there. He made frequent visits to town around the time that Sosman was painting scenery at Semon’s. When the two eventually met, they would have shared a common bond, as each intimately knowing many of the town’s more vociferous personalities.
Semon’s Opera House in Fairfield Iowa the year after Joseph Sosman painted scenery for the stage, c. 1876
The success of Sosman & Landis could be attributed to their network of support, especially from the Landis family. Four of Perry’s brothers became actively involved in the business; uprooting their lives and moving to Chicago to work with Perry. The Landis brothers brought a lot to the table. To fully understand the success of Sosman & Landis, one needs to examine the Landis family as a whole. They were a close-knit group of risk takers.
This story will take some time to tell. Here is a basic summary of Perry’s family tree. I will get down to business in my next post.
The Landis Family
Perry was the eighth of twelve children born to Henry H. Landis (1809-1893) and Catherine Johnston Landis (1817-1902). I am going to start with Perry’s grandparents, as they help place this family in Indiana during the early nineteenth-century. There are quite a few genealogical records that have erroneously linked individuals with the last name of Landis, those people who share close names and dates.
Perry Landis is part of the Landis family that settled in the eastern part of Indiana; the counties of Union and Franklin.
Location of Union County, Indiana, and Franklin County, Indiana.
Map of Franklin County, Indiana. Brookville is the county seat.
Perry’s Grandparents
I am going to start with Perry’s grandfather, David Landis (1767-1814). He married Elizabeth “Betsy” Picklesimer (1779-1871), on May 31, 1800, in Franklin County, Virginia. Their first child, Sarah, was born on May 1, 1805, in Virginia. Sometime between the birth of their first and second child, they couple moved from Virginia to Ohio, a 450-mile journey. Their second child (Perry’s father, Henry) was born in Middletown, Butler County, Ohio. The couple remained in Ohio for the remainder of their lives, celebrating the birth of a third child, Jacob, in 1812.
David Landis passed away on March 24, 1814, in Goodwins Corner [Liberty], Union County, Indiana. Elizabeth buried her first husband in Railsback Cemetery while pregnant with their last child. Elizabeth was born in Franklin County less than three months later, on June 9, 1814. At the time of David’s passing, his son Henry (Perry’s father), was only five years old. Betsy remarried when she was 39 yrs. On Feb. 26, 1818, Elizabeth Landis married John Moss (1786-1862), in Preble County, Ohio. Preble County is located approximately 40 miles northeast of Franklin County. They celebrated the birth of their only child, Phebe, on Jan. 19, 1819.
Elizabeth, and her three daughters (Sarah, Elizabeth and Phebe) never left the area. At the age of 92 yrs. old, Elizabeth Landis Moss (Perry’s grandmother) passed away and was laid to rest in Sims Cemetery, Harmony Township, Union County. This was in 1871. Unfortunately, the construction of Brookville Lake, necessitated that her remains were relocated to the New Fairfield Community Cemetery in Franklin County.
Henry Landis grew to adulthood in Franklin County where he met and married his future wife.
Perry’s Parents
The Indiana marriage registration for Henry Landis and Catherine Johnston is dated Oct. 1, 1831. Their wedding ceremony took place on Oct. 6, 1831, in Franklin County. For geographical context, Franklin County is located 25 miles due south of Union County; it is on the eastern border of Indiana, approximately 45 miles northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio, and 70 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
Catherine Johnston was the youngest of seven children born to James Johnston (b. abt. 1784) and Mary Groff (b. 1786). Like her siblings, she was born in Mansfield, Sussex County, New Jersey, on June 6, 1817. As a young girl, she moved with her family from New Jersey to Indiana. Her father ran a local dry goods store in Brookville, and advertised in Franklin County newspapers. On May 29, 1824, he placed an advertisement in the Western Emporium, listing the location of his store as “three doors south of the Printing Office, in Brookville.” On June 19, 1824, his advertisement in the Public Ledger announced that he had commenced the manufacture of tin ware. Johnston began operating a second store in nearby Richmond, 30 miles due north of Brookville.
Ad placed by James Johnston, Catherine Johnston Landis’ father, in 1824.
Ad placed by James Johnston, Catherine Johnston Landis’ father, in 1824.
Interestingly, on July 12, 1828, the Franklin Repository listed James Johnston as a candidate for city coroner. And that was the last that I have located about Catherine’s father. By 1829, both James and Mary Johnston had passed away. At the time, Catherine was only 12 yrs. old. James Johnston’s estate went into probate in 1830. Unfortunately, the court records are almost illegible, and I have yet to glean any information about Catherine’s life between the death of her parents and marriage to Landis. However, Catherine was only 14 yrs. old when she married her 22-yrs.-old husband in 1831. By 15 yrs. old she was a mother.
The birth of Henry and Catherine Landis’ children track the Landis family’s whereabouts after leaving Indiana. They seldom settled in any one place for long. Mary Landis was the first child born to the couple in Ohio, arriving on March 5, 1833. Mary arrived a month before her mother’s 16th birthday. Her second child, John Anderson Landis, was also born in Ohio on Jan. 14, 1835. His birthplace is listed as Xenia, Greene County, Ohio, indicating a move to the Dayton area. geographical context, Xenia, is about 55 miles due east of Union County, approximately 15 miles southwest of Dayton, Ohio. There is a four-year gap between children, and I would hazard a guess that a child died in infancy.
The Landis family lived in Xenia, Ohio, when John A. Landis was born in 1835.
Their third surviving child, David, was also born in Ohio on May 31, 1839, although neither city nor county are listed on his birth record. By 1840, the Landis family lived in Oxford, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. That year, the U. S. Federal Census listed a Henry Landis a h ead of household, living with three young children and an adult female. Keep in mind that some of the early census reports only recorded head of household names, not any familial relations; so, you have to guess who is living in the home. By the way, Oxford is approximately 17 miles northeast of Brookville, Indiana. Henry and Mary returned to Indiana with their three young children when Jacob H. Landis was born on Oct. 11, 1841.
Moving to Iowa
Sometime between 1841 and 1844, the Landis family moved from Indiana to Iowa. Joseph Landis was born in Fairfield, Iowa, on March 8, 1844. Timing is really everything when venturing a trek across the country. The Landis family’s arrival to Fairfield followed that of the Little Miami Railroad in 1843. Once Fairfield was connected to the ever-expanding railway system, it connected Fairfield farmers with other markets and farming communities.
Two more Landis children were born in Iowa during the mid-1840s, but neither survived infancy. On July 10, 1846, an unnamed daughter was born, dying only two days later. Another daughter, Julia Ann Landis, was born on August 17, 1847, but also died in infancy, passing away on Sept. 11, 1847. Whether it was loss, or something else, the Landis family returned to Indiana by the end of the decade.
A Brief Return to Indiana
Perry Landis was born in Clifty Township, Indiana, on Nov. 19, 1849, although some records site his birth year as early as 1848. For geographical context Clifty Township is one of twelve townships located in Bartholomew County, Indiana. In other words, they were living approximately 50 miles southwest of Franklin County.
The next two Landis sons were also born in Indiana. James Henry Landis was born on Feb. 6, 1851, and Edgar Landis was born on Feb. 7, 1852. The age gap between the youngest Landis son and the eldest Landis child was substantial. On Sept. 15, 1853, Mary Landis married Robert Alexander Marshall in Decatur, Indiana. By 1854, the Marshalls and the extended Landis family moved to Iowa, settling in Keokuk County.
Back to Iowa
Henry and Catherine Landis lived on a farm near Fairfield, Iowa, in 1854. From a historical standpoint, Fairfield was site for the first and second Iowa State Fair in 1854 and 1855. Only a year earlier, Fairfield became the first city in Iowa to offer library services. It was an area filled with opportunity. In 1855, H. H. Landis entered produce in the Iowa State Agricultural Society’s Annual Fair. In fact, on October 25, 1855, the Fairfield Ledger credited H. H. Landis with the three largest squashes in Class No. 24 – Vegetables (page 1). In 1856, the Landis family celebrated the birth of Franklin Landis on March 11, 1856. That same year, the Landis family moved 30 miles northwest of Fairfield, settling in Steady Run Township to be near their eldest child Mary who was pregnant. Mary and Robert Marshall celebrated the birth of Jennetta in 1857. Although grandparents, Henry and Catherine Landis celebrated the birth of another son; Charles Landis arrived on July 12, 1858.
The location of Fairfield and Steady Run, Iowa.
The 1860 US Federal census listed Henry and Catherine still farming in Steady Run Township and living with eight of their children: David (21 yrs.), Jacob (19 yrs.), Joseph (16 yrs.), Perry (12 yrs.), James H. (8 yrs.), Edgar (6 yrs.), Franklin (3 yrs.) and Charles (2 yrs.). Loss would follow the Landis family during the early 1860s, with three children dying over the course of four short years.
On Dec. 18, 1860, their son, James Henry Landis, died in Steady Run Township. At the time, he was only 9 years 10 months and 12 days old. James was buried at Martinsburg Cemetery, near Competine, Wapello County, Iowa. Less than two weeks later, their daughter, Mary Ann Landis Marshall, died on Jan. 2, 1861. She was also buried in Martinsburg Cemetery. Then, David Landis passed away from complications after being injured in battle on Dec. 20, 1863.
Their loss was compounded by the constant threat of the Civil War. Five of the eight Landis children had joined the Union Army.
Kirke Moses worked for Sosman & Landis in 1885. His name was included in a list of Sosman & Landis employees who gave donations to the Grant Memorial Fund. On August 2, 1885, the Chicago Tribune listed that Kirke Moses donated twenty-five cents.
Kirke W. Moses, picture in a 1929 newspaper article.
Kirk White Moses was a younger half-brother of Thomas G. Moses; they shared the same father, Capt. Lucius Manlius Moses.
Their father was a sea captain, born in Exeter, New Hampshire on April 21, 1822. His first wife, Thomas Moses’ mother, was Mary Wingate Titcomb from Somersworth, Strafford County, New Hampshire. Exeter was located thirty miles due south of Somersworth, with each connected by water to the sea. The announcement of their marriage was published in the “Marriages” section of the Boston Evening Transcript on Aug. 22, 1849:
“At the Atlantic House, Wells Beach, Me, 14th inst, Capt. Lucius M. Moses, of ship Pactolus, to Miss MW. Titcomb, daughter of Mr. J. H. Titcomb, or Great Falls, N.H.” (page 3). Great Falls referred to the drop in Salmon Falls River. The town later became known as Somersworth. For geographical context. This area is about 76 miles north of Boston.
Location of Great Falls near Somersworth and Rollinsford.
1877 Map of Great Falls, New Hampshire.
Of the first family, Tom Moses wrote, “Father and Mother had a family of seven children. Kate, the eldest, was accidentally killed at sea. Lucius was the first boy and died at sea. Sister Lucia was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 23rd, 1853. I was the third child. Frank was born in 1858.” Frank was born in Massachusetts, but the fifth child, Illinois “Illie” Moses, was born in Sterling, Illinois.
Capt. Lucius Moses gave up the sea, moving inland to Sterling, Illie was born. The 1860 census listed the Moses household as including Lucius (38 yrs.), Mary (36 yrs.), Lucia (6 yrs.), Thomas (4 yrs.), Frank D. (2 yrs.) and Illie (6 months). At the time, Lucius Moses’s occupation was listed as “boot and shoe dealer.” Shortly after the census was taken, Mary became pregnant again, giving birth the following year. She passed away on Aug. 5, only a few days after giving birth to her last child, Kate, on Aug. 2, 1861. Mary was buried in her hometown of Somersworth, New Hampshire, joining her children who had predeceased her. In 1856, Lucius established a family crypt in Forest Glade Cemetery. Sadly, it needs much repair.
The gravesite of Lucius Moses, Mary Titcomb Moses and at least three of their children at Forest Glade Cemetery in Somersowth, New Hampshire.
The gravesite of Lucius Moses, Mary Wingate Titcomb Moses and at least three of their children at Forest Glade Cemetery in Somersowth, New Hampshire.
Shortly after the death of Mary Moses, Capt. Moses remarried Adaline Gowen, also from New Hampshire, Adaline was the youngest daughter of Daniel Gowen (1788-1880) and Abigail “Abba” Libby (1798-1894). Fifteen years Moses’ junior, Adaline immediately became in charge of four children, ranging in age from 2 to 8 yrs. old. Of his stepmother. Thomas Moses wrote, “When the new Mother took charge of affairs, there were many radical changes made. Many of them made my young life a burden and had a strong influence on my whole life, and also kept my nose to the grindstone.”
Kirke White Moses was the first of two sons born to Lucius and Adaline Moses, arriving on Nov. 8, 1871.
At the time of Kirke’s birth, Tom Moses’ life was quite miserable; he greatly disliked working in the tannery, wanting to become an artist in Chicago After a few failed attempts at running away, Tom finally left home for good it in 1873. That year Moses wrote, “My wild career as an Artist started in April. Father would not help me, so I started for Chicago with 10¢ in my pocket and a new pair of boots, red leather tops and copper toes; some heavy clothes and a lot of pluck.” Fortunately, Moses was able to immediately land a position at Almini’s decorative firm.
A year later, Lucius and Adaline celebrated the birth of another son. Walter Farrington Moses was born on April 4, 1874. As Lucius and Adaline began raising another set of children, Tom Moses transitioned from decorative artist to scenic artist and never looked back.
Ironically, both Kirke and Walter began their careers as painters. I like to think that Thomas Moses paved the way for his younger brothers. About the time that Tom began to really make a name for himself in Chicago, his father moved into town. The 1880 US Federal Census listed that Lucius, Adaline, Illie, Kirke and Walter were living at 331 Randolph St. Now 60 yrs. old, L. M. Moses was listed as a harness maker. Interestingly, Illinois “Illie” Moses was working as an actress by this time too. Both Illie and her brother Tom were associated with the Academy of Music by 1881. Moses and Lemuel L. Graham painted scenery for the venue, with Illie as part of the stock company. Of his work for the Academy of Music, Thomas Moses wrote, “I enjoyed the work, even if I had to do it evenings and Sundays. I received good pay for this, which all helped. The plays were mostly of the melodramatic order and required a lot of scenery.” Moses was also working at Sosman & Landis during this time. Between the summers of 1881 and 1882, Sosman & Landis was credited with delivering stock scenery collections to over seventy theaters. In 1880, Thomas Moses’ salary increased from $18.00 to $20.00 per week, a very acceptable income at the time.
With two of his children succeeding in the theatre industry, Lucius Moses was a little more lenient on his youngest sons’ career choices. By 1885, Kirke Moses was also working at Sosman & Landis. At the age of 14 yrs., old, Kirke was likely employed as a paint boy, performing a variety menial tasks to help the scenic artists. That year Tom Moses was listed as an artist, living at 106 Centre Ave; by 1888 he was living at 721 W Harrison.
In 1882, Lucius’ grocery store was listed at 307 W Rudolph; Tom was at 744 W Van Buren.
From 1885 to 1889, Lucius Moses was listed in the Chicago Directory as a manager at 301 W. Rudolph
Kirke was 19 yrs. old when his father passed away. The Sterling Standard published his obituary on Jan. 29, 1891:
“Died.
Capt. Lucius M. Moses, last Saturday evening at his residence, 301 W. Randolph St. Chicago. Funeral services were held at the residence of his son, T. G. Moses, 721 W. Harrison St., Monday p.m., when he remains accompanied by his widow were placed aboard the cars en route for Great Falls, New Hampshire where the deceased had in early life erected a tomb wherein his first wife and three children were lain before him. Capt. Moses came to Sterling some 30 years since and resided here for about 20 years during which time he was principally engaged in the tanning and saddlery trade. He then went to Chicago where he established a family grocery store in which business he was engaged at the time of his death. The deceased will be remembered by all of our older residents as a very entertaining conversationalist and a warm friend” (page 8).
Kirke continued to work as a painter, listing it as his occupation when he married on Feb. 15, 1896. His first wife was Mary Genevieve “Mamie” Christopher (b. 1878), the 21-yrs.-old daughter of Thomas Christopher and Celia King. They were married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and celebrated the birth of their first child the following year. Dorothy Jean “Illis” Moses was born on Oct. 25, 1897.
In 1900, the small family was living in Chicago at 325 S. Clark. The 1900 US Federal Census still listed Kirke Moses’ occupation as a painter, living at 235 S. The household included Kirke, his wife Mary, daughter “Illis”, and Mother Adaline.
Sometime by 1903, their marriage ended, with Mary and their daughter moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and living with her parents. By 1910, Mary was working as a stenographer, living at 2840 29th Ave. S. Mary continued to work as a stenographer, but returned to using her married name by 1911. She remained in Minneapolis until 1916 when she relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. Here are her listings in the Minneapolis City Directory:
1911: Christopher, Mary G. (wid Kirk W) stenographer F J Geist 235 Temple Ct.”
1912: Christopher, Mary G. (wid Kirk W) stenogr F J Geist r 2840 29th Ave S.
1913: Christopher, Mary G. (wid Kirk W) emp agt 240 Temple Ct r 70 N 12th
1915: Christopher, Mary G. (wid Kirk W) r 2312 E 35th
1916: Christopher, Mrs. Mary G moved to Kansas City, Mo.
I have yet to discover whatever happened to Kirke’s first wife after 1916, but her parents (Thomas and Cecilia Christopher) moved back to Chicago by 1920.
Kirke married twenty-one-yrs.-old Olga Lindman on July 3, 1903, in South Haven, Michigan. Again, Kirke listed his occupation as “painter” on the marriage certificate. Their marriage was published in The True Northerner on July 10, 1903: “Kirke W. Moses, 32; Alga Lindman, 21, both of Chicago” (page 8). His second marriage also failed, but I have no idea what happened to Olga either.
On Aug. 29, 1908, Kirke married his third wife, Emma L. Schultz (1883-1971). A few days later, on Aug. 30, 1908, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat announced their marriage n “Clayton Marriage Licenses”:
“Kirke W. Moses, De Hodiamont, Missouri, and Emma L. Schultz, St. Louis” (page 7). At the time, Kirke was 35 years old, and Emma was 24 years old.
Less than a year later, Kirke and Emma celebrated the birth of a daughter in St. Louis. Ruth Moses was born on July 17, 1909, at 2849 Nebraska. It appears that Kirke only fathered two children. His obituary would list his two daughters as Mrs. Jean Tisher and Ruth McNulty.
In 1910 US Federal Census listed Kirke, Emma, and Ruth living at 2849 Nebraska Ave. in St. Louis. Kirke was now working as a paper hanger. Painters frequently worked as wallpaper hangers, especially when they began to focus on residential and commercial projects.
Interestingly, Kirke shifted from decorating to building homes. On July 16, 1912, the “St. Louis Globe-Democrat” (page 11) reported, “Buys Minnesota Avenue Lot. The Christian Brinkop Real Estate Company reports the sale of lot 30×127 feet on the west side of Minnesota Avenue, between Miami and Winnebago streets from Fred Bauer to Kirke W. Moses for $810. The purchaser will improve with modern home.”
By 1913 he was working as a carpenter and contractor. Here are his directory listings in the St. Louis Directory from 1913 to 1919:
1913: Moses, Kirke W. carp contr at 3916 Minnesota av in St. Louis.
1914: Moses, Kirke W. bldg. contr 604 Chestnut r 3916 Minnesota
1915: Contractors (Builders) section – Moses, Kirke W. 604 Chestnut
1916: Moses, Kirke W 4936 Wise av
1919: Contractors (Builders) section – Moses, Kirke W (bldr) 4936 Wise av
Tom visited Kirke’s home on Wise Ave, in St. Louis. In 1919, Moses wrote, “We had a nice time in St. Louis at Kirke Moses’ home” and “Brother Kirke and family paid us a visit in July, driving up from St. Louis.”
In 1920, the US Federal Census listed Kirke as a contractor in St. Louis, living at 4935 Wise Ave., with his wife Emma L. (36 yrs.), daughter Ruth (10 yrs.), and sister-in-law Bertha Schultz (40 yrs. old). His full-brother Walter was caring for their ailing mother in Chicago. On Nov. 13, 1920, Kirke’s 85-yrs.-old mother, Adaline Moses, died in Oak Park, Illinois. She was buried in Mound Grove Cemetery in Kankakee, Illinois, a few days later.
Kirke remained in St. Louis, working as a builder. He became quite successful by the mid-1920s. He was continually listed in the real estate section – selling homes. Kirke continued to meet his brother Tom whenever he passed through town. In 1924, Tom Moses wrote, “On the 30th, I stopped at St. Louis, where Kirke met me at the station, and we went to Volland’s studio. It is some studio. They were very anxious to have me come down and help them out, as they had more work that they could handle.”
Kirke continued to be listed as an architect and builder in St. Louis newspapers throughout the late 1920s. On Nov. 12, 1927, the St. Louis Star and Times reported, “Eight five-room bungalow single type two-family flats located in the 4100 block Minnesota Ave, each built on a lot 35 by 125 feet and constructed by Kirke W. Moses.”
Kirke W. Moses featured as a designer and builder in 1929.
He was building quite a reputation, and on April 4, 1929, was featured in the St. Louis Star (page 24). The article announced, “Kirke Moses to Build Residences in Ivanhoe Park. Veteran Contractor has erected 600 fine dwellings in St. Louis.” The article continued:
“Kirke W. Moses has been selected to erect the model homes to be built in Ivanhoe Park for the Hauer-Lustkandl Realty Company in the St. Louis Better Built Homes Movement. Associated with the building industry for over twenty years, Moses has built more than 600 fine residences in various parts of the city. The son of a Chicago contractor, he began building and construction work shortly before the World’s Fair. Before coming to St. Louis, he gained distinction in the field of building through his work in construction of the University of Texas buildings at Galveston and the Illinois Central car shops at Memphis. One of his first commissions in St. Louis was the reconstruction of the Philippine Building at the World’s Fair. Since that time, he has confined his activities to the building of fine homes. It was thoroughly in line with the policy of the St. Louis Better Built Homes Movement, that he was selected to build these model homes. The executive committee realized the importance of selecting a reputable builder. It is well known regardless of the fine materials used no home can be well built if poor construction methods are employed. The fact that his record as home builder was beyond reproach led to Moses’ selection.” Many historic newspaper articles are riddled with errors. I have yet to locate any record that suggested Kirke Moses’ father was a contractor. The only occupations that I have located for Lucius Moses are sea captain, boot and show dealer, harness maker, and grocer. That does not mean that Lucius did not build his own home or work as a carpenter, just not professionally as a contactor.
The 1930 US Federal Census listed Kirke Moses’ home address at 3643 Bowen Ave, St. Louis. His occupation was listed as a contractor in the building industry, with his household including Emma Moses (46 yrs.), sister-in-law Bertha Schultz (50 yrs.) and his niece Esther Volkering (32 yrs.). That year Kirke Moses placed several ads in the St. Louis Star and Times.
On June 12, 1930, Kirke Moses placed an advertisement in the St. Louis Star and Times:
“Mechanics.
Structurally a building may be a beautiful job and yet the Owner may be sorry that he built it.
There is so much more to building a building that the mere mechanics of building it!
Kirke W. Moses
General Contractor
3643 Bowen St.
Riverside 5089.”
Ad placed by Kirke W. Moses in 1930.
Ad placed by Kirke W. Moses in 1930.
Tom Moses continued to visit his younger brother in the last few years of his life. In 1931, Tom Moses wrote, “Arrived in St. Louis, Saturday, December 5th. Kirk was at the station to meet us. We all enjoyed our visit with them in their new home, which is very comfortable.” In 1932 Moses wrote, “May 22nd, Sunday morning, I was called to Sister Illie’s apartment, where she had passed away during the night. I wired Pitt, Gertrude, Kirke, and Walter. The next morning Kirke arrived with Emma and Rupert – having driven all night. They remained with us all night and left the next morning, the day of the funeral.”
Little changed in Kirke Moses’ life in the 1930s, but the depression took its toll, and he began to work for another contractor, A. J. Meyer. Meyer was listed as Moses’ employer on his 1942 WWII Draft Card, with business offices at the corner of Grand & Gravois in St. Louis. The draft card also listed Moses’ physical description as 5’-7”, blue eyes, gray hair, and ruddy complexion.
Moses continued to work as a builder for A. J. Meyer & Co. in the early 1940s, and then became associated with the J. Ben Miller Realty Co. Newspaper notices about Moses’ projects continued to decline throughout the 1940s.
Kirke Moses passed away on Feb. 24, 1951. His death certificate listed “Hypernephroma, Rt. Kidney” as cause of death, with “Laennec Cirrhosis arteriosclerotic heart disease” as a contributing factor. He was buried at Sunset Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Afton, Missouri.
His obituary was published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat:
“Moses, Kirke W., 6337 Oleatha, Sat., Feb 24, 1951, dearly beloved husband of Emma Moses (nee Schultz), dear father of Mrs. Jean Tischer and Mrs. Ruth McNulty. Dear brother-in-law, father-in-law, grandfather and uncle. Funeral from KRIEGSHAUSER Mortuary, 4228 S. Kingshighway, Tues., Feb. 27, 3 PM interment Sunset Burial Park, Member of South Side Kiwanis Club” (page 34).
Kirke W. Moses gravestone in Sunset Memorial Park and Mausoleam.
I have written about Kirke Moses in the past, as he was part of the Thomas G. Moses storyline; the one that I took a break from to do these S&L employee biographies. In 2020 I was contacted by one of Kirke Moses’ descendants. His great granddaughter wrote:
“Thank you for this. Thomas Gibbs Moses was my Great Uncle. His brother, Kirke White Moses, was my Great Grandfather, whose daughter was my beloved Grandma, Ruth Moses McNulty! Our family still has a few paintings from Thomas Gibbs Moses and his brother, Walter Farrington Moses! Periodically, I search for information on my ancestors and I was happy to find this. Thanks again.”
