File:New York State's prominent and progressive men - an encyclopaedia of contemporaneous biography (1900) (14579216467).jpg

Identifier: newyorkstatesprov2harr (find matches)
Title: New York State's prominent and progressive men : an encyclopaedia of contemporaneous biography
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Harrison, Mitchell Charles, 1870-
Subjects: Civic leaders
Publisher: (New York) : New York Tribune
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

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seventeen yearsbegan active business life as a clerk in the wholesale groceryhouse of C. & L. Denison. There his advancement was rapid,according to his deserts, and four years after entering the househe became a partner in the firm. Two years later, in 1838, heleft that business to engage in the flour and grain business withhis father, who had formerly been a member of the firm of EliHart & Co. Jesse Hoyt continued in business with his fatheruntil the latters death in 1854, and then reorganized the firmunder the name of Jesse Hoyt & Co., his partners being his twobrothers, Samuel N. Hoyt and Alfred M. Hoyt, and Henry W.Smith. This firm rose to the foremost rank in its line of busi-ness, having important connections not only in all parts of theUnited States, but in Europe as well. Samuel N. Hoyt retiredfrom the firm in 1858, but Jesse and Alfred M. Hoyt continuedto conduct it with great success down to 1881. Jesse Hoyt was a fine type of the enterprising and far-seeing 168
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— JESSE HOYT 169 merchant. He was interested in every movement for the devel-opment of the commercial greatness of New York, aiming con-stantly to make and to keep this city the undisputed commercialcapital of the continent. Thus he took a most active interest inthe Erie Canal, which he rightly reckoned one of the most valu-able feeders of this market from inland. He likewise paid be-neficent attention to the development of Western railroad sys-tems, desiring to see New York directly linked with all parts*ofthe country. He bought great tracts of pine-land in Michiganand erected lumber-mills, and carried on an enormous traffic intheir output. He built and operated lines of steamships on theGreat Lakes. He built grain-elevators in Chicago, Milwaukee,and Jersey City. He purchased and improved real estate inmany Western places, and built hotels and founded banks, nota-bly in Michigan and Minnesota. He was one of the builders ofthe Winona and St. Paul Railroad, now part of the Chicago an

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