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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND 17
Rest, Dutchess county, New York. In 1833 Joel B. Lawrence removed with his
family to Olmsted, Cuyahoga county, where he endured all the privations and
hardships incident to life in the Western Reserve in the first half of the nineteenth
century. He became the owner of a large tract of land and also of a flour mill,
which he was operating in Olmsted at the time of his death, which occurred in
1851. His wife, surviving him two years, passed away in 1853.
Their son, Washington H. Lawrence, was thus left an orphan at the age of
thirteen years and the necessity of early providing for his own support led him to
secure a clerkship in Berea. While there he continued his studies, thus supplementing
the common school education that he had previously obtained at Olmsted.
He also pursued a course of study in Baldwin University at Berea and thus gained a
college as well as a business education by reserving a portion of his time to himself.
The elemental strength of his character and ability were recognized by Hon. John
Baldwin, who associated his son Milton with Mr. Lawrence in the management
of large milling and real-estate properties in Kansas. However, the death of
Milton Baldwin before the enterprise was fully inaugurated left the entire burden
of the care of the properties upon Mr. Lawrence's shoulders. He ably managed
the interests of the business until the latter part of 1859, when he withdrew from
partnership relations with Mr. Baldwin and engaged in business with his brother
at Hannibal, Missouri. While so engaged he was compelled to travel through
western Missouri and eastern Kansas and saw much of the border warfare that
followed the struggle between the pro and anti slavery forces in the latter state.
He was also there during the early days of the Civil war and had many narrow
escapes from the assaults of the guerrillas.
Returning to Olmsted late in 1861 to manage the family property there, he
continued at his old home until 1864, when he removed to Cleveland and became
associated with N. S. C. Perkins and W. A. Mack in the manufacture of the Domestic
sewing machine. This business proved very profitable, for Mr. Lawrence
succeeded in triumphing over the sewing machine combination in all their patent
litigations. The enterprise grew to large proportions, constituting a profitable
venture, and ultimately Mr. Lawrence sold his interest to his associates. He then
had charge of the sale of the Howe Sewing Machine Company, his territory including
five states, and at the same time he was engaged in manufacturing bolts
at Elyria, Ohio, as a member of what is now known as the Cleveland Screw & Tap
Company. He disposed of all these interests in 1874 to become one of the pioneers
in another field of labor which was just being developed. He was among the first
to recognize the importance of electricity as a factor in commercial life and in
1874 became a large stockholder in the Telegraph Supply Company, retaining his
interest through the various changes until it was finally merged into what is now
the Brush Electric Company.
Mr. Lawrence was associated with Charles F. Brush at the inception of the
Brush Electric Company, furnishing a large portion of the original investment,
and even in the darkest hours of that company's existence he was unfaltering in
his conviction concerning the ultimate success of the undertaking. His old zeal,
unfaltering belief and unabating energy continued factors in the growth and development
of the business until the company had a capital of three million dollars,
with Mr. Lawrence as general manager, in charge of the largest manufacturing
establishment in its line in the world. Time demonstrated his wisdom in business
affairs and gave proof of his ready recognition of the value of the project which he
fostered. After twenty years of most exacting business life Mr. Lawrence, in
1882, resolved to take a much needed rest. Severing his connection with the company
and selling or exchanging the greater part of his interests, he invested largely
in real-estate properties in Cleveland and elsewhere, and for several years devoted
his leisure to the management of his real estate. Although his property holdings
were enough to require all the time and attention of most men, he was still unable
to resist the charms of active management. He felt the enticement of what Kipling
would term the "witchery of commerce," and in 1886, after carefully looking
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