J. Edward Addicks
Encyclopedia
John Edward Charles O'Sullivan Addicks (1841–1919) was an industrialist and capitalist who used his wealth from financing and building gas works to wage four unsuccessful campaigns for a United States Senate
seat in Delaware
. His struggle with Henry A. du Pont
for control of the state government led to Delaware having both of its Senate seats
vacant for a time and was one of the factors which led to election reform and the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
in 1913.
, to John E. C. O'Sullivan and Margretta McLeod (Turner) Addicks. He graduated from Philadelphia public schools at age 15 and entered business, first in wholesale dry goods, then in flour, and later in real estate. Addicks married Laura Butcher in 1864, with whom he had a daughter, Florence. After the death of his first wife, he married her sister Rosalie; they subsequently divorced. Addicks moved to Claymont, Delaware
in 1877, where he would eventually marry Ida Carr Wilson in 1898.
business, then in its infancy. He built gas works in Jersey City, and in 1882 he was instrumental in organizing the Chicago
Gas Trust. Addicks formed the Bay State Gas Company in Boston
in 1884, and subsequently consolidated the Boston, Roxbury, and South Boston Gas companies into one trust in 1889. Although he never officially relocated to Boston, in 1892 he was paid an annual salary of by the Boston Gas Syndicate. In 1892, he purchased a controlling interest in the Brooklyn Gas Company, and was elected its president. Addicks' success at forming gas monopolies earned him the nicknames "Gas Addicks" and the "Napoleon of Gas".
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. His struggle with Henry A. du Pont
Henry A. du Pont
Henry Algernon du Pont , known as "Colonel Henry", was an American soldier and politician from Winterthur, near Greenville, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a veteran of the American Civil War, and a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as U.S...
for control of the state government led to Delaware having both of its Senate seats
57th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:*Democratic: 151*Republican: 200 *Populist: 5*Silver : 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Theodore Roosevelt , until September 14, 1901, vacant thereafter....
vacant for a time and was one of the factors which led to election reform and the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
in 1913.
Early life and family
Addicks was born November 21, 1841 in Philadelphia, 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...
, to John E. C. O'Sullivan and Margretta McLeod (Turner) Addicks. He graduated from Philadelphia public schools at age 15 and entered business, first in wholesale dry goods, then in flour, and later in real estate. Addicks married Laura Butcher in 1864, with whom he had a daughter, Florence. After the death of his first wife, he married her sister Rosalie; they subsequently divorced. Addicks moved to Claymont, Delaware
Claymont, Delaware
Claymont is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 9,220 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in 1877, where he would eventually marry Ida Carr Wilson in 1898.
Gas industry
Shortly after moving to Delaware, Addicks became involved with the natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
business, then in its infancy. He built gas works in Jersey City, and in 1882 he was instrumental in organizing the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Gas Trust. Addicks formed the Bay State Gas Company in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1884, and subsequently consolidated the Boston, Roxbury, and South Boston Gas companies into one trust in 1889. Although he never officially relocated to Boston, in 1892 he was paid an annual salary of by the Boston Gas Syndicate. In 1892, he purchased a controlling interest in the Brooklyn Gas Company, and was elected its president. Addicks' success at forming gas monopolies earned him the nicknames "Gas Addicks" and the "Napoleon of Gas".