Friedrich Weyerhäuser
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Weyerhäuser (November 21, 1834 in Nieder-Saulheim
, Rheinhessen
- April 4, 1914 in Pasadena
, California
) was a German-American
timber mogul and founder of the Weyerhaeuser Company
, which owns saw mills, paper factories, and other business enterprises, and large areas of forested
land. He is the eighth richest American of all time, with a net worth of $72.2 billion in 2006 dollars.
in the United States
. They sent back glowing letters describing the conditions they found.
In 1852, at the age of 18, Weyerhäuser emigrated with a group of his family from Germany
to the United States. They landed in New York City
in July and proceeded to Pennsylvania, settling at North East
. Frederick went to work for an earlier immigrant in a brewery. After two years, he abandoned the brewing business, because, as he expressed it, he felt that a brewer “often becomes his own best customer.” He then worked on a farm for a year.
His share of the funds from the sale of the family farm in Germany enabled him to move on further west in search of opportunity, and 1856 found him in Rock Island, Illinois
, working on the construction of the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad
. After a short time, he entered the sawmill
of Mead, Smith and Marsh as a night fireman, quickly moving up to tallyman and then yard manager and salesman. When the company opened a new yard in Coal Valley
, he was sent to manage it. Though his yard prospered, the firm got into financial difficulties, and with savings from his salary Frederick bought the business.
Thus he began doing business under his own name.
With his brother-in-law, Frederick Denkmann
, he formed the Weyerhaeuser-Denkmann Lumber Company and began to acquire interests, including some majority interests, in many other timber companies. He became the central point in what was later called the "Weyerhauser Syndicate," a network of lumber interests, "reputed to have almost a hundred partners, none of whom knew the business of the others," with Weyerhaeuser as the common link. In 1872, he established the Mississippi River Boom and Logging Co., an alliance that handled all the logs that were processed on the Mississippi River
. In 1900, Weyerhäuser bought 900000 acres (3,642.2 km²) of timberland in the Pacific Northwest
from James J. Hill
and founded the Weyerhäuser Timber Company. One of the 30 factories in which he held an interest was Potlatch, later Potlatch Corporation. He also owned interests in the Boise Cascade
Corporation. The Weyerhaeuser
Company is still the world’s largest seller of timber.
In 1906, Weyerhäuser's business concerns entered the public eye when the Interstate Commerce Commission
recommended to Congress that the lumber industry be investigated for possible anti-trust violations. Weyerhäuser ignored the resulting attention.
Weyerhäuser married Sarah Elizabeth Bloedel on October 11, 1857. The couple had seven children: John P. Weyerhauser, Elise (Weyerhauser) Bancroft Hill, Margaret (Weyerhauser) Jewett, Apollonia (Weyerhauser) Davis, Charles A. Weyerhauser, Rudolph M. Weyerhauser, and Frederick E. Weyerhauser.
In thanks to his home community, in 1904 he established a music hall in Saulheim
.
Weyerhäuser was buried in the family mausoleum in Chippiannock Cemetery
, Rock Island, Illinois
. Weyerhäuser was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1978.
Saulheim
Saulheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
- April 4, 1914 in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) was a German-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
timber mogul and founder of the Weyerhaeuser Company
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
, which owns saw mills, paper factories, and other business enterprises, and large areas of forested
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
land. He is the eighth richest American of all time, with a net worth of $72.2 billion in 2006 dollars.
Biography
Friedrich was one of eleven children of Johann Weyerhäuser and his wife. The family supported itself by working a 15-acre farm and a 3-acre vineyard. Friedrich started attending the Protestant school of Nieder-Saulheim when he was 6, and at 8 began helping on the farm. When he was 12, his father died, and Friedrich had to give up most of his studies to help out on the farm. The Revolutions of 1848 in Germany prompted several members of his family emigrate to western PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They sent back glowing letters describing the conditions they found.
In 1852, at the age of 18, Weyerhäuser emigrated with a group of his family from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to the United States. They landed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in July and proceeded to Pennsylvania, settling at North East
North East, Pennsylvania
North East is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Erie. Fruit growing was an early economic endeavor, and is still to this day, as this is a popular area for especially cherries and grapes. There is an annual Cherry Festival in the summer and an annual in the fall. It contains...
. Frederick went to work for an earlier immigrant in a brewery. After two years, he abandoned the brewing business, because, as he expressed it, he felt that a brewer “often becomes his own best customer.” He then worked on a farm for a year.
His share of the funds from the sale of the family farm in Germany enabled him to move on further west in search of opportunity, and 1856 found him in Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, working on the construction of the Rock Island and Peoria Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
. After a short time, he entered the sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
of Mead, Smith and Marsh as a night fireman, quickly moving up to tallyman and then yard manager and salesman. When the company opened a new yard in Coal Valley
Coal Valley, Illinois
The Village of Coal Valley is in both Rock Island County and Henry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 3,743 at the 2010 census, up from 3,606 at the 2000 census. It is mostly residential, housing families that work in or out of the greater Quad Cities Area...
, he was sent to manage it. Though his yard prospered, the firm got into financial difficulties, and with savings from his salary Frederick bought the business.
Thus he began doing business under his own name.
With his brother-in-law, Frederick Denkmann
Frederick Denkmann
Frederick Denkmann was an American lumber baron based in Rock Island, Illinois. He teamed up with his brother-in-law Friedrich Weyerhäuser and formed Weyerhäuser-Denkmann Lumber Company.-Early life:...
, he formed the Weyerhaeuser-Denkmann Lumber Company and began to acquire interests, including some majority interests, in many other timber companies. He became the central point in what was later called the "Weyerhauser Syndicate," a network of lumber interests, "reputed to have almost a hundred partners, none of whom knew the business of the others," with Weyerhaeuser as the common link. In 1872, he established the Mississippi River Boom and Logging Co., an alliance that handled all the logs that were processed on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. In 1900, Weyerhäuser bought 900000 acres (3,642.2 km²) of timberland in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
from James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
and founded the Weyerhäuser Timber Company. One of the 30 factories in which he held an interest was Potlatch, later Potlatch Corporation. He also owned interests in the Boise Cascade
Boise Cascade
Boise Cascade Holdings, LLC, which uses the trade name Boise, is an American pulp and paper company, ranked as the thirteenth largest forest products company in the world....
Corporation. The Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
Company is still the world’s largest seller of timber.
In 1906, Weyerhäuser's business concerns entered the public eye when the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
recommended to Congress that the lumber industry be investigated for possible anti-trust violations. Weyerhäuser ignored the resulting attention.
Weyerhäuser married Sarah Elizabeth Bloedel on October 11, 1857. The couple had seven children: John P. Weyerhauser, Elise (Weyerhauser) Bancroft Hill, Margaret (Weyerhauser) Jewett, Apollonia (Weyerhauser) Davis, Charles A. Weyerhauser, Rudolph M. Weyerhauser, and Frederick E. Weyerhauser.
In thanks to his home community, in 1904 he established a music hall in Saulheim
Saulheim
Saulheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
.
Weyerhäuser was buried in the family mausoleum in Chippiannock Cemetery
Chippiannock Cemetery
Chippiannock Cemetery is a cemetery located on 12th Street and 31st Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois. The word “Chippiannock” is a Native American term which means “place of the dead”.-History:Rock Island was in need of a permanent cemetery in 1854...
, Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
. Weyerhäuser was inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1978.
See also
- Weyerhaeuser HouseWeyerhaeuser HouseWeyerhaeuser House is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. It was built in 1865 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in IllinoisNational Register of Historic Places listings in Rock Island County, IllinoisThis is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States...
External links
- The Weyerhaeuser Family Papers and F. Weyerhaeuser and Company Records are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society