I'm trying to locate a picture of Joesph T Ryerson who was on the Board of Elgin. Also birth info, jobs, death etc. I posted this request under "Early National" along with images of the pocket watch, but realized that Tom may just pass that post over.

Thank you.

I wasn't ignoring you Roland, I saw your posted & had looked for a picture but I didn't look for any of the other stuff. I will see what I can find.

Tom

No luck on a photo yet.

Joseph Turner Ryerson was born on March 25, 1813 in Chester Pa. He died March 8, 1883 in Chicago Il.

He arrived in Chicago in about 1842 as an agent for a Pittsburgh iron manufacturer. He opened his own business Ryerson & Son, which I believe still exists.

He was married to Ellen Griffin Larned on Oct. 26, 1848

Their children where, Arthur Larned Ryerson, Edward Larned Ryerson, Elanor Ryerson & Josephine Ryerson.

In the 1850 census for Chicago he is listed as a merchant.

In 1870 he is listed as an iron merchant.

Here is a link to an article from 1922 about him & his family & their iron business.

http://books.google.com/books?...t.%20ryerson&f=false

Another book from 1918;

http://books.google.com/books?...t.%20ryerson&f=false

Roland, here is another good essay regarding
Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc.

From the late 60's until the early 80's, Ryerson & Son was my Metal Supplier and I still see their trucks on the street from time to time....

Regards,

Jerry

Thank you Tom and Jerry (no-pun). It always amazes me the info that can be dug up if you know where to head. That's why your input is so worthy Tom.

I wonder if I contact this steel company at www.ryerson.com and locate a picture of their founder?

Again thanks to both of you!!!

Still no photo, I am beginning to wonder if one exists.

Found this little article about JT's son Arthur, he died in the sinking of the Titanic.

Ryerson Family
+ Arthur Larned Ryerson, age 61, from Haverford, PA
Mrs. Arthur Ryerson (Emily Borie)
Children: Emily Borie, John Borie and Suzette Parker
Arthur was the elder son of Joseph Turner Ryerson, founder of the iron and steel company of that name. He was returning to the U.S. from Paris, to attend the funeral of his son, Arthur Jr., who was killed in an automobile accident at Bryn Mawr, PA the week before. Mrs. Ryerson escaped on the eighth and last lifeboat from the port side at 1:55 a.m. She remarried in 1927 to Forsythe Shefersee, a financial advisor to the Chinese government, dying in 1939 at age 76.
Emily Ryerson married twice and died at Cooperstown, NY in 1960, age 66
Suzette, educated at the University of Chicago, went to France during WWI and worked in a field hospital, being awarded the Croix de Guerre for her work. She was married to George Patterson and died in 1921.
Jack Ryerson, aged 13 at the time of the Titanic disaster, became a noted golfer.
Another child Ellen Ryerson (later Mrs Salvatore) was not aboard the Titanic. She died in New York in 1973.
Unknown to Arthur was the presence on the Titanic of a distant (4th) cousin. William Edwy Ryseron worked as a steward in the dining saloon.
Arthur Ryerson was lost in the sinking, his body, if recovered, was never identified.

Hi Tom that is very interesting about his eldest son and the Titanic. I also came across info about a place called Ringwood Manor in NJ where he lived around 1900. This estate was very famous for it's steel foundries in the area. www.ringwoodmanor.com

With J.T Ryerson being in the steel business he most likely supplied Elgin with metal for the plates at least.

I've got a request into the Library at the University of Chicago as they have a massive collection of Ryerson family papers that includes pictures, so hopefully they can supply an image. This fellow has been very tough to find image wise, whereas his partners and colleges I have found images.

This is all fun to do and adds a nice side to our hobby.

Roland

Good luck finding a photo. It is kind of unusual not finding a photo or at least a painting of someone so well known in the late 1800's. Most of the people like him with have an image in biographical sketches of people of Chicago etc. I think he is the 1st industrial giant I haven't seen an image available for.

I can find photos of his son & grandsons but not him.

Maybe he was like my father, there is not a photo of him to be found, as a kid I saw him on numerous occasions smash cameras of people that tried to take his photo. Either he was superstitious, a fugitive, or in the witness protection.

Tom

Just to follow up on this thread.

I have been in touch with someone at the Chicago University Library, as they hold all the documents of the Ryerson family in their archives.
They in turn connected me with a George Ranney who is the actual keeper of the files, images etc.

I'm now at the stage where Mr. Ranney will be giving me authorization to access the family files at the University (via online) to finally obtain an old photo from around the 1870's of Joesph T. Ryerson that will accompany my watch from 1874.

It's taken about 3 months but I'm almost done.
What I find hard to believe is that there isn't anything public that shows the Ryersons. It's like he and his family were ahead of their time with being "stealth" and not being photographed.

I'll post an image when I get one, so that this thread can be laid to rest.