McLeish, William

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2465
• Biography: Abt 1911

Notes:

Biography:
WILLIAM McLEISH, a well-known business man of Appleton, Wisconsin, who is president of the Appleton Car-Mover Company, manufacturers of coal dealers' supplies and modern coal yard equipment, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1837, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Van Alstine) McLeish, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of New York. Mr. McLeish's father was a patternmaker by trade and for some years operated a foundry and machine shop at Cleveland, Ohio, in partnership with another business man, but prior to his death returned to Scotland on a visit and died there. William MeLeish received his education in the public and private schools of Cleveland, Ohio, and for fifteen years conducted a farm in New York, which his father purchased after retiring from his foundry business. Later William McLeish purchased a farm in Minnesota, which he operated for several years, and then engaged in the photography business, having two galleries at St. Paul, engaging in traveling and later manufacturing dry plates for photographers at Des Moines, Iowa. He came to Appleton in 1885 as a photographer, and later became a bookkeeper for a hardware firm, but in November, 1900, he organized the Appleton Car-Mover Company, with E. M. Wright, R. Miller and Archie Shannon. Later Messrs. Shannon and Miller sold out, and the interest of Mr. W'right was purchased by Mr. E. C. Allen, who met an accidental death in New York, in 1907, since which time Mr. MeLeish has conducted the business alone, although Mrs. Allen retained her husband's interest. The company's goods, which are known and sold all over the world, consist of chutes, chute elevators, house shields, sheet steel, coal baggers, bagging screens, combination yard and car screens, pocket screens, wire cloth, rotary screens, coal bags canvas steel and galvanized steel baskets, waterproof horse covers, Atlas car movers, push brooms, wagon signs, steel wheelbarrows, car wrenches, scoops, forks, coal elevators and conveyors, and, in fact any and every article that is in demand by coal dealers, many of these articles being covered by special patents controlled by the company. Years of experience in this line have made each article a perfect type of modern coal yard equipment, and by selling direct to the customer the company is able to sell superior goods as low as many of their competitors' inferior goods .
Mr. McLeish was married to Miss Laura A. Lacy, of New York, and they have had four children: William F., who is engaged in the sheep business in Montana; Fred H., who also carries on that line of business near Spokane, Washington; Arthur E., who resides at Fort Benton, Montana; and Ida Belle, who married C. H. Ragland and resides in Montana. Mr. McLeish is a member of the Congregational Church. He is fraternally connected with the Masons, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery and Eastern Star; and also holds membership in the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America .