William E. Dodge
Encyclopedia
William Earle Dodge, Sr. (September 4, 1805 – February 9, 1883) was a New York
businessman, referred to as one of the "Merchant Princes" of Wall Street in the years leading up to the American Civil War
. Dodge was also a noted abolitionist, and Native American
rights activist and served as the president of the National Temperance Society from 1865 to 1883. Dodge represented New York's 8th congressional district
in the United States Congress
for a portion of the 39th United States Congress
in 1866-1867 and was a founding member of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). His son, Charles Cleveland Dodge, was one of the youngest brigadier generals
in the Union Army
during the Civil War at the age of twenty-one.
, the second son of David Low Dodge
, founder of the New York Peace Society
, and his wife Sarah Cleveland. His married Melissa Phelps (1809–1903), the daughter of Anson Greene Phelps
and Olivia Egleston
. The couple had seven sons. In 1833, Dodge and his father-in-law founded the mining firm Phelps, Dodge and Company, one of Americas largest mining companies.
Dodge is the namesake of Dodge County, Georgia
. A consortium of businessmen led by Dodge purchased large tracts of timberland in this area following the Civil War. The Dodge Land Company laid claim to over 300000 acres (1,214.1 km²) of land through questionable land deeds. The consortium's ownership of these lands led to land wars which resulted in nearly fifty years of court cases. Dodge was the essence of what Southerners refer to as Carpetbaggers.
Dodge and his associates built the Macon and Brunswick Railroad
, connecting Macon to what was then a remote area of the state. Dodge County was formed in 1870 and Eastman
, the county seat, was established at the railroad's Station Number 13. Dodge visited the area only once, to dedicate a two-story courthouse that he donated to the county. Dodge's sons later administered the timber businesses in this area.
Dodge was active in the post-Civil War Indian reform movement. He joined Peter Cooper
in organizing the privately funded United States Indian Commission in 1868 and helped institute Ulysses S. Grant
's Peace Policy toward the Indians. In 1869, Dodge toured Indian Territory
(present-day Oklahoma
) and Kansas
as a member of the government-sponsored Board of Indian Commissioners
. He met and discussed U.S. Indian policy with representatives of the Cheyenne
, Arapaho
and Kiowa
. Dodge lobbied for the prosecution of the U.S. cavalry commanders responsible for the 1870 Massacre of the Marais in Montana
, which left 173 Blackfeet
dead. Dodge unsuccessfully campaigned to establish a cabinet level department for Indian Affairs. He also used his influence in Washington on behalf of Indian educational programs and the General Allotment Act of 1887. A monument to William E. Dodge stands on the North side of Bryant Park
.
Dodge was a founding member of the Board of Trustees for the Syrian Protestant College, later renamed the American University of Beirut
. As Treasurer, he laid the cornerstone of College Hall, the first building on the present campus in Ras Beirut, on December 7, 1871.
His eldest son, William Earl Dodge, Jr., assumed control of the Phelps Dodge
company after his death.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
businessman, referred to as one of the "Merchant Princes" of Wall Street in the years leading up to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Dodge was also a noted abolitionist, and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
rights activist and served as the president of the National Temperance Society from 1865 to 1883. Dodge represented New York's 8th congressional district
New York's 8th congressional district
New York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...
in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
for a portion of the 39th United States Congress
39th United States Congress
The Thirty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865 to March 4, 1867, during the first month of...
in 1866-1867 and was a founding member of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). His son, Charles Cleveland Dodge, was one of the youngest brigadier generals
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War at the age of twenty-one.
Biography
Dodge was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the second son of David Low Dodge
David Low Dodge
David Low Dodge helped to establish the New York Peace Society and was a founder of the New York Bible Society and the New York Tract Society.- Biography :...
, founder of the New York Peace Society
New York Peace Society
The New York Peace Society was the first peace society to be established in the United States. It has had several different incarnations, as it has merged into other organizations or dissolved and then been re-created.- First incarnation :...
, and his wife Sarah Cleveland. His married Melissa Phelps (1809–1903), the daughter of Anson Greene Phelps
Anson Greene Phelps
Anson Greene Phelps was a co-founder of mining company Phelps Dodge, which he founded in 1833 along with his son-in-law William E. Dodge.-Early life:...
and Olivia Egleston
Olivia Egleston
Olivia Egleston was the daughter of Elihu and Elizabeth Egleston and the wife of businessman Anson Greene Phelps, co-founder of the Phelps Dodge Company. She was the mother of Melissa Phelps and Anson G. Phelps, Jr. Melissa's husband, William E. Dodge, was the other co-founder of the company....
. The couple had seven sons. In 1833, Dodge and his father-in-law founded the mining firm Phelps, Dodge and Company, one of Americas largest mining companies.
Dodge is the namesake of Dodge County, Georgia
Dodge County, Georgia
Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 19,171. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,042. The county seat is Eastman. Dodge County lies in the Historic South region of Georgia, an area that has architectural wonders and shows the...
. A consortium of businessmen led by Dodge purchased large tracts of timberland in this area following the Civil War. The Dodge Land Company laid claim to over 300000 acres (1,214.1 km²) of land through questionable land deeds. The consortium's ownership of these lands led to land wars which resulted in nearly fifty years of court cases. Dodge was the essence of what Southerners refer to as Carpetbaggers.
Dodge and his associates built the Macon and Brunswick Railroad
Macon and Brunswick Railroad
-History:It was chartered in 1856 but track building was halted during the American Civil War. By 1867 there was fifty miles of tracks from Macon, Georgia to Hawkinsville, Georgia. The East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad bought the railroad line in 1881....
, connecting Macon to what was then a remote area of the state. Dodge County was formed in 1870 and Eastman
Eastman, Georgia
Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,541 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dodge County...
, the county seat, was established at the railroad's Station Number 13. Dodge visited the area only once, to dedicate a two-story courthouse that he donated to the county. Dodge's sons later administered the timber businesses in this area.
Dodge was active in the post-Civil War Indian reform movement. He joined Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
in organizing the privately funded United States Indian Commission in 1868 and helped institute Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Peace Policy toward the Indians. In 1869, Dodge toured Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
(present-day Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
) and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as a member of the government-sponsored Board of Indian Commissioners
Board of Indian Commissioners
The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the federal government of the United States on Native American policy and it inspected supplies delivered to Indian agencies to ensure the fufillment of government treaty obligations to tribes....
. He met and discussed U.S. Indian policy with representatives of the Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
, Arapaho
Arapaho
The Arapaho are a tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux. Arapaho is an Algonquian language closely related to Gros Ventre, whose people are seen as an early...
and Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
. Dodge lobbied for the prosecution of the U.S. cavalry commanders responsible for the 1870 Massacre of the Marais in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, which left 173 Blackfeet
Blackfeet
The Piegan Blackfeet are a tribe of Native Americans of the Algonquian language family based in Montana, having lived in this area since around 6,500 BC. Many members of the tribe live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning...
dead. Dodge unsuccessfully campaigned to establish a cabinet level department for Indian Affairs. He also used his influence in Washington on behalf of Indian educational programs and the General Allotment Act of 1887. A monument to William E. Dodge stands on the North side of Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.603 acre privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan...
.
Dodge was a founding member of the Board of Trustees for the Syrian Protestant College, later renamed the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
. As Treasurer, he laid the cornerstone of College Hall, the first building on the present campus in Ras Beirut, on December 7, 1871.
His eldest son, William Earl Dodge, Jr., assumed control of the Phelps Dodge
Phelps Dodge
Phelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 by Anson Greene Phelps and William Earle Dodge, Sr.. On March 19, 2007, it was acquired by Freeport-McMoRan and now operates under the name Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.-History:...
company after his death.