Thursday, June 5, 2025

New York Stock Brokers: Samuel H. Watts of Halsted & Hollister and Fellowes Davis & Company

Sporting chap Samuel H. Watts began his career on Wall Street at Fellowes Davis & Co., but quickly changed firms and joined up with Halsted & Hollister by 1901.  The moose and Mr. Watts appeared in The Stock Exchange in Caricature, Vol. 2, 1904.



Tuesday, June 3, 2025

New York Stock Brokers: Jacques Halle of Halle & Stieglitz

Jacques Halle held a seat at the New York Stock Exchange throughout the 1898 tax period.  The charcoal above can be found at The Stock Exchange in Caricature, Vol 2 1904.


 

Sunday, June 1, 2025

New York Stock Brokers: N. Townsend Thayer of Faris & Thayer

N. Townsend Thayer, the gilded-age fat cat depicted above in The Stock Exchange in Caricature, 1904 Vol 2, has been featured on this site previously due to his assocation with southwestern railroads.  For today what is important is Mr. Thayer's partnership at Faris & Thayer where he was based and held a membership on the NYSE throughout the tax period.  To remind, Mr. Thayer held a large share of the stock in the "Memphis Route" and was a close associate of the Gould Brothers, linking him to the use of printed precancels on the documentary battleship stamps.



 

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Kingan & Company of Indianapolis


John M. Shaw was Kingan & Co.'s representative at the Chicago Board of Trade and was CBOT member #4015.


Kingan & Co., Ltd.
JUL 29 1898
Indianapolis.

KINGAN & CO




Thursday, May 29, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Lasier & Hooper

L. & H.
SEP  27 190?
CHICAGO.

Stamp courtesy of David Thompson, sent many years ago!

David S. Lasier was CBOT member 5229
J. K. Hooper was CBOT member 5253

advert from The American Elevator & Grain Trade, May 15, 1902

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: R. P. Fish

R. P. FISH
FEB 16 1899
CHICAGO

Roswell P. Fish was CBOT member 2570
Roswell P. Fish Jr. was CBOT member 5261

advert from Chicago and Its Resources 20 Years After, 1892

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Carrington, Hannah & Company

C. H. & CO.
NOV
11
1899
CHICAGO

William T. Carrington was CBOT member 4292
John S. Hannah was CBOT member 2258


Saturday, May 24, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: William B. Bogert

W. B. B.
MAY 31 1899
CHICAGO

William Bogert was CBOT member 3925



William Bogert from a Princeton University photo

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: C. H. Canby & Company

C. H. CANBY & CO.
JAN 7 1899

C. H. CANBY & CO.

C. H. CANBY & CO.
AUG 17 1899
CHICAGO

Caleb H. Canby was CBOT member 5362; he was its president from 1913-15.  Canby would also become a member of the New York Stock Exchange.

from The Northwestern Miller, July 5, 1899

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Blackman Brothers

BLACKMAN BROS
MAY 18 189?
CHICAGO

BLACKMAN BROS
MAR 19 190?


from Chicago and Its Resources 20 Years After
This volume listed Chicago assets after the Chicago Fire as a testament to the city's recovery

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Samuel Waters Allerton

S. W. A.
AUG 17 1900
CHICAGO.

S. W. A.
JUL 12 1898
CHICAGO.

Samuel Allerton was CBOT member 222.  He was one of the richest men in Chicago, at one point only behind Marshall Field and J. Ogden Armour.  Much of Allerton's fortune was made in livestock.  He was the Republican candidate for Mayor of Chicago in 1892.

Samuel Waters Allerton


Saturday, May 17, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Grier & Zeller

GRIER & ZELLER
MAR ? 190?
CHICAGO.

Grier & Zeller closed up shop in mid-1901 as reported by the American Elevator & Grain Trade:



John P. Grier from Men of Illinois, 1902

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: McRea & Waters and Waters, Patterson & Company

WATERS, PATTERSON & CO.
SUCCESSORS TO
JUN 14 1899
M'CREA & WATERS
CHICAGO.

Wiley B. Waters, CBOT Member #1680, traded with M'Crea & Waters until 1899, and then reorganized with someone named Patterson in that year.  However, he was reported by The Grain Dealers Journal of April 10, 1900 to have declared bankruptcy.  Following the bankruptcy, neither Waters nor Patterson were ever included in the CBOT membership lists after its organization in 1899.  

from The Economist, May 20, 1899


Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Adams & Samuel

Edward S. Adams, CBOT member #3002
Edward M. Samuel, CBOT member #4238

advert, Catalog of The International Livestock Exposition, Chicago, 1901

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: R. Lindblom & Company

R. LINDBLOM & CO.
JUN 19 1899
CHICAGO.

Robert Lindblom was CBOT member #2396.


advert from The Democratic Sentinel of Rensselaer, Indiana, October 5, 1883.
Mr. Lindblom appears to have advertised throughout the United States soliciting the business of "speculators".  His ads pop up in newspapers around the country in the 1880s and perhaps beyond.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: The American Cereal Company


Originally posted back in 2023 on New Years Day, The American Cereal Company maintained a presence at the Chicago Board of Trade through its representives, including:

  • Henry P. Crowell, CBOT #6654
  • Robert Stuart, CBOT #2849
  • Lincoln Richards, CBOT #6655

The company was a large buyer of raw grain and likely bought for immediate use and to lock in future prices.

The canceled documents above were not used at the Board of Trade; one is a bill of exchange fragment and the other a sight draft.

The Grain Dealers Journal, August 24, 1904




Thursday, May 8, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: B.S. Sanborn & Company

B. S. SANBORN
JUN
27
1900
CHICAGO

Benjamin S. Sanborn was CBOT member 5082.

from The American Elevator & Grain Trade, May 15, 1905.  B. S. Sanborn & Company's business interests would be taken over by W. J. Thompson & Company.
 

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Chicago Packing & Provision Company

Another example of the CBOT reeded CDS:

C. P. & P. CO.
MAR
19
1900
CHICAGO
 
Grant C. Pryor represented the Chicago Packing & Provision Company at the Chicago Board of Trade and was member 2585.

Chicago Packing & Provision Company promotional poster.

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: Fred D. Stevers & Company

F. D. S. & CO.
AUG
8
1900
CHICAGO.

Fred D. Stevers was CBOT member #4566.


from The American Elevator & Grain Trade, May 15, 1902

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Chicago Board of Trade Companies: A. S. White & Company

A. Stamford White & Company was known for using a reeded CDS, and there are other brokers at the Chicago Board of Trade that can be found using a similar CDS, sometimes with only initials to identify them.  These cancels are fairly unambiguously those of Mr. White:

A. S. WHITE & CO.
MAR
2
1900





Mr. White was CBOT member 3359.