Anson Greene Phelps
| Anson Greene Phelps | |
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 Anson Greene Phelps, industrialist and philanthropist |
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| Born | March 24, 1781 Simsbury, Connecticut |
| Died | November 30, 1853 (aged 72) New York City, New York |
| Resting place | New York Marble Cemetery, re-interred, Green-Wood Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Founder Phelps Dodge Mining Corporation |
| Signature |  |
Anson Greene Phelps (March 24 1781 – November 30 1853) was a co-founder of mining company Phelps Dodge, which he founded in 1833 along with his son-in-law William E. Dodge.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Simsbury, Connecticut in 1781, his mother died when he was 12 years old, after which he was raised in the house of the minister of Simsbury. He was descended from the early American Colonial Governors Thomas Dudley, John Haynes and George Wyllys. On 13 October 1799, he chose Thomas Woodbridge Phelps as his guardian. On 5 May 1799, Thomas Woodbridge Phelps and Anson Greene Phelps were admitted to the Congregational Church in South Canton, Connecticut led by Reverend Jeremiah Hallock. In his early adulthood, he left Simsbury and settled in Hartford, Connecticut.[1]:1409-1412
[edit] Career
After moving to Hartford, Phelps began manufacturing saddles and shipping them to the South. His business grew rapidly and he was able to build a large brick building on North Main street that became known as the "Phelps Block." In 1812 he moved to New York City and began doing business with Elisha Peck under the firm name of Phelps, Peck & Co. They dealt in metals, including iron, brass, and others.[1]
Fellow businessman Sheldon Smith persuaded Phelps to invest in the growing town of Derby, Connecticut, in an area that came to be known as Birmingham. Unable to grow his business in his efforts to expand his business farther north, Phelps instead selected a location on the east bank of the Naugatuck River in what is now downtown Ansonia. Ansonia was first settled in 1652 and named in honor of Anson Phelps. The state chartered Ansonia as a borough of Derby in 1864, and later as a separate town in 1889. In 1893, Ansonia incorporated as a city, consolidating with the boundaries of the town.
Phelps' business continued to prosper and he accumulated a large fortune. His original firm was dissolved in about 1828, and Phelps organized the Phelps Dodge Company in 1833 together with his son-in-law William Earl Dodge and other family members.
[edit] Philanthropic interests
Phelps continued to be an active member of the Congregational Church, and he took an interest in a number of philanthropic causes. He contributed heavily to the American Bible Society, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the American Home Missionary Society, the Colonization Society, the Blind Asylum of New York City, and served as the president of each at some point during his life. He also contributed to many other societies and charitable institutions both while he lived and in his estate. He gave his native town of Simsbury, Connecticut US$1000 to aid the poor. Among his other philanthropic activites was the creation of the Anson G. Phelps lecture series on early American history at New York University.
[edit] Family
Anson married Olivia Egleston, daughter of Elihu and Elizabeth Egleston, on 26 October 1806. He and Olivia had nine children: Elizabeth, Melissa, Caroline Olivia (died in infancy), and Caroline, all born in Hartford, Connecticut; and Harriett, Anson Green Jr., Olivia Egleston, and Lydia Ann, all born in New York City. His grandsons included Anson Phelps Stokes and William Earl Dodge Stokes, and a great-grandson, a well-known philanthropist also named Anson Phelps Stokes.
[edit] Death and bequests
He died at his residence, formerly the Coster place on the East River, on 30 November 1853 at age 73. He was eulogized by a Mrs. Sigourney in writing:
| “ | The cares of commerce and the rush of wealth Swept not away his meekness, nor the time To cultivate all household charities; Nor the answering, conscientious zeal To consecrate a portion of his gains To man's relief and the Redeemer's cause. | ” |
In his will, he left instructions to his heirs that characterized his life:
| “ | I give and bequeath to each of my grand-children, living at my decease, the sum of $5,000, to be paid them as they severally attain the age of 21 years. This latter bequest I direct to be accompanied by my executors with this injunction:-That each of my said grand-children shall consider the said bequest as a sacred deposit, committed to their trust, to be invested by each grand-child, and the income derived therefrom to be devoted to spread the gospel, and to promote the Redeemer's kingdom oil earth, hoping and trusting that the God of Heaven will give to each of that wisdom which is from above, and incline them to be faithful stewards, and transmit the same to their descendants, to be sacredly devoted to the same object.
I know this bequest is absolute and places the amount so given beyond my control; but my earnest hope is that my wish may be regarded as I leave it, an obligation binding simply on their integrity and honor. |
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He was buried in his family vault in the New York Marble Cemetery, and was later re-interred in the Green-Wood Cemetery.
[edit] References
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