William Culbertson (businessman)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Stuart Culbertson (1814–1892) was once the richest man in Indiana. Born in New Market, Pennsylvania, he migrated at age 21 to find his fortune along the Ohio River. He settled in New Albany, Indiana, taking a job as a dry goods clerk, but by 1860 had found his wealth in dry goods. In 1868 he retired from dry goods to become an investor. When he died in 1892, he was worth $3.5 million, leaving behind his third wife after two wives died before him. Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site in New Albany, Indiana, was his home.
William Culbertson was born on February 4, 1814, in New Market, York County, Pennsylvania. He was the second of six children born to William Culbertson and Julia Stuart.[1] William grew up learning the mercantile business, as his parents ran a successful one in New Market. At age 21, William left home to find work in Louisville, Kentucky but was turned away.[2]
Marriage and personal life
William Culbertson married his first wife Eliza Vance on February 19, 1840. They had eight children before her death from typhoid fever on January 3, 1865. William then married Cornelia Eggleston on January 10, 1867. They had two children before her death on October 18, 1880. He then married widow Rebecca Keith Spears Young.
Blanche Culbertson French, his daughter with his wife Cornelia, was the most notable among his children due to her involvement in the suffrage movement. She was President of the Equal Franchise League of New Rochelle, New York, and a member of the National Woman's Suffrage Association.[3] His great-granddaughter was Rebekah Harkness, a socialite, philanthropist, and one of the richest women in America.
