My Genealogy Hound

LAWRENCE J. FITZGERALD has done more to spread Cortland’s fair name over the earth than any other one man. As the president of the Cortland Wagon Co., he has with his able associates built up an industry, which ships its products to almost every city and town of the civilized countries of the globe. That the name plate, bearing on its surface “Cortland Wagon Company,” and the added names “Fitzgerald,” “Straat,” or “Duffey,” is a guarantee of the highest order in the vehicle carrying it, goes without discussion among all who know aught of carriage or wagon building. Mr. Fitzgerald at an early age learned the wagon-maker’s art, and came to Homer in 1862 as a journeyman. In 1864 he transferred his residence to Cortland, where he laid the first foundation for Cortland’s present immense industry. Two years later he was conducting quite a business on Main Street, but working mainly by himself, and accepting only the amount of work that he could perform himself. In 1869, having been prospered in his undertaking, he opened on a yet larger scale on Port Watson Street. About this time, his business requiring more help, he sold a portion of his interests to Mr. O. C. Gee, and the enterprise that has grown to its present proportions was fairly launched. As Fitzgerald & Gee, they continued until 1872, when Mr. Gee sold his share to Mr. C. W. Kinne, and the firm bought a new place on Railroad Street, and erected thereon a large plant for the more extensive building of a product, that was then beginning to attract considerable attention and favorable comment. The next three years were fraught with wonderful growth, so that in 1875 another set of large buildings had to be erected; salesmen were now going into the most remote parts of the country with the firm’s catalogue, and the name “Cortland” was getting to be a standard of merit. In 1877 the firm met its first serious loss in the death of Mr. Kinne. The whole burden of the heavy business fell on Mr. Fitzgerald’s shoulders, who was fully equal to the task, and under his masterly direction the business continued to expand and increase. The output having steadily doubled every two years, and the plant having grown in size, as addition after addition was made, Mr. Fitzgerald came to the conclusion that the care of the entire establishment was too much for one man, so he with his usual skill set about getting things in shape to be handled in a manner suitable to the great proportions they had assumed in a few years. As a result the Cortland Wagon Company was, in the latter part of 1878, incorporated, and on January 1, 1879, with Mr. Fitzgerald as president, assumed charge of the entire plant and business. Of the new corporation Hugh Duffey was vice-president and superintendent. Seven years later F. Cy Straat was elected secretary and treasurer of the company. The magnificent progress of the enterprise was unchecked, and in 1881 a splendid factory with a capacity of about 30,000 vehicles per year had been built by degrees, and was then in use. The output had increased from 4,500 vehicles in 1877 to 8,000 in 1880. In 1884 the product went up to 12,000 vehicles, and in 1888 to the unheard-of aggregate of 27,000. This included of course wagons, carriages, carts, sleighs, etc. In 1888, the fire fiend laid his clutches on the plant, and the whole establishment went up in smoke. Before the last smouldering ember had died out, and the charred timbers had had a chance to cool, plans were being prepared, and in the following summer a new and better plant than the old, rose, Phoenix-like, from the ashes. At the same time, the company erected a plant at Brantford, Canada, to supply the Canadian trade, now of great size. This new factory in Cortland is considered by those who should know to be one of the best arranged and most completely equipped plants of its kind in existence. It is heavily built of brick and stone on plans approved by the best insurance authorities and covers nine acres of ground. The best of modern machinery is used throughout; it has its own electric light plant and is heated by steam. The buildings are all connected, are mainly three stories in height and are admirably lighted and ventilated. The large repository, finished in natural wood, with its fine vaulted ceilings, and ornate staircases, is one of the noted repositories of the state. At the present writing, the company has, besides its main plant and Brantford factory, an immense brick factory building at Auburn Park, Chicago, which is used as a warehouse for their Western trade, and also a branch warehouse in London, England. They are now building almost everything in the vehicle line from a light dog-cart to a heavy drag or victoria. They are also putting out the “Diana," a bicycle of standard and well known merit. The management is nearly the same as it has been for years past. Our subject, the president, has full charge of the business policy of the company, and general supervision of all their outside territory. Mr. Hugh Duffey looks after the manufacturing end, while Mr. Straat attended to the office work and financial affairs until his retirement in 1896, the present secretary being F. M. Possell, who was for seventeen years connected with Stuedebaker Bros., manufacturers, South Bend, Ind. The story of the growth of this enterprise has been the story of the life of Mr. Fitzgerald. While he has had the help and the advice of faithful and tried lieutenants, still the vigorous push and energy which have built the enterprise up from a little shop in a quiet country town to a mammoth factory in a bustling, working community, have been inspired by the man who is to-day its head. The Cortland Wagon Co. is now making and selling 15,000 vehicles per year, and the money drawn to Cortland and paid out by the company to its 300 to 350 employees has been the most important factor in the prosperity of the village.

Besides doing all that we have outlined, Mr. Fitzgerald has found time to look after other affairs. In 1885 he was elected state treasurer and three years later was re-elected. He was a trustee of Cortland village in 1877 and 1881, and president of the village in 1882. He is at the present writing vice-president of The National Bank of Cortland. He was for some time also the vice-president of the Second National Bank, but resigned. Mr. Fitzgerald is the largest land owner in Cortland County.

In 1870, Mr. Fitzgerald built a fine home on Lincoln Avenue, and in 1885 erected his present home on Tompkins Street, a house that by the way is one of the finest in this county. He has done much other building in and about Cortland, and he is a stanch supporter of improvements of all kinds. To Mr. Fitzgerald and his wife, who was a Miss Shay, four children have been born, by name: Catherine Helena, the wife of Frank Leighton of Syracuse, N. Y.; Cora B.; Carrie M.; and Mabel L. As one who has likely done more than any other man in building up and spreading the fame of Cortland village, we present on a preceding page Mr. Fitzgerald’s portrait*, executed from a photograph taken in April, 1898.

*A portrait was included in the original printed volume.