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has one of the most elaborate mausoleums in Bellfontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. He was from New York and founded Waters-Pierce Oil Company. I wonder if there is any connection to George N. Pierce: anyone know?
Hi Randy,
Unfortunately (or fortunately for the Geo. N. Pierce Company), these two men are not related.
Here is a quick overview of both.
George Norman Pierce
Born in Pennsylvania January 9, 1846
Died in San Antonio, TX March 23, 1910
George lived with his parents in the PA till 1870 when he moved to Buffalo, NY. Georges father, Henry Miller Pierce (born in England, 1790), fathered at least three extremely successful male children — James Pierronet Pierce was a railway and mining tycoon in California, George Norman Pierce was the manufacturer and inventor of the Pierce-Arrow, and Henry Miller Pierce (Jr.) had a very productive career as an educator and inventor. Frances married George Squiers, a very successful Buffalo businessman. George N. Pierce was one of 11 children.
Henry Clay Pierce
Born in Jefferson County, NY April 7, 1849
Died in New York City, NY June 27, 1927
Henry was the son of well-educated doctor from Upstate New York. In 1910 he was the second wealthiest man in St. Louis and the one of the richest men in the country. He marries the daughter of John R. Finlay who owned an oil company. Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1877, Henry made a partnership with William H. Waters. In 1878 J.D. Rockefeller bought the Waters-Pierce Oil Company making both men extremely rich. Shortly after, Henry Clay Pierce was found guilty of violating anti-trust laws through his relationship with Standard Oil. Waters-Pierce paid more than $1,700,000 in fines and interest.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21252
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19547107
https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Henry_Pierce_(5)
Ben Oakes
There appear to be gremlins in the information sources – George Pierce did not die in Texas but passed away in Buffalo at his apartment in the Lenox that evening.
Findagrave.com is a new source to me, so I looked at the writeup of George Pierce. It lists only five children, leaving out Percy’s brother Duncan, among others. Duncan was in college when Percy was driving in competitions but later joined his brother at the Pierce Cycle Company.
Member Ellie Leigh is one of George Pierce’s great-granddaughters and has much family information; Mimi Taylor, outside the Society, is also related, and may still maintain a family genealogy website (query by Google). Pierce family history can be fascinating; you may want to contact them for more.
I hope this helps
Brooks
Hi Brooks,
I was incorrect about the death location of George N. Pierce. After looking at the information I have from The Automobile I was putting the Lenox hotel in San Antonio, Tex.
Sorry for the confusion.
Ben
Ben –
Once I learned George Pierce lived at the Lenox, I decided I would see what it was like. It was operating as a hotel at the time of the 2001 PAS Buffalo meet. I noticed the Mobil Guide gave it the same rating as the new Renaissance Hotel in Detroit, so I looked forward to staying there. But when I walked in the lobby I realized the Mobil Guide inspector may have never been inside. Being determined to find out what it was, I checked in. The apartments had been broken up to single rooms but the old floor plan was still posted to show what it had been. The building does not immediately reveal its greatest point – on the upper floors are great views of the lake. George Norman Pierce may have been able to see both Sturgeon Point and the factory from there.
Brooks
Gents,
I copied this from the link I show below.
Originally built 1896 as an apartment building, the Lenox was converted into a hotel in 1900, probably to take advantage of the Pan-American Exposition crowds. It offered an electric carriage service exclusively for its guests. The Lenox survives today as one of the last hotels in Buffalo.
Very elegant in 1898, the apartment building was a very fashionable place to live. It had a front porch and huge stone pillars that had been carved.
Mansions surrounded the hotel. Next to the hotel (where Walgreens is now located) was the Root House by McKim, Mead and White, one of the most influential and prestigious architectural firms in the country. Across the street from the Lenox and the Root were two more mansions by McKim, Mead and White: the Metcalfe House (demolished 1980), and the Williams / Butler House at the corner of North Street and Delaware Avenue, perhaps the most beautiful residential building in Buffalo.
Says Brian Dyche, the manager of the Lenox in 1994, “It [the Lenox] was for people who maybe spent the summer in the Hamptons, the winter in the city. The rooms, most of them, were full suites with kitchens, breakfast nooks, servants’ quarters.”
Peter
http://www.buffaloah.com/a/north/len/
Gents,
Also, there is a Lenox Hotel in Boston, but it is not related, save for the name.
Perhaps, it was a common practice to name a Luxury hotel after the wife of King George, III, as was the Lenox Hotel in Boston.
Cheers,
Peter
http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/the-lenox/history.php