WILLIAM H. GRAHAM

Portrait and Biographical Record ~ Pages 154

Kindly submitted: Bill Schmitz

WILLIAM H. GRAHAM, an influential citizen of Lehigh County, is a practical iron man, and is at present Superintendent of the Catasauqua Manufacturing Company, which is located in Catasauqua.  He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., November 24, 1846, and is a son of William Graham, a native of Scotland, where his father, William by name, was born, and followed the trade of a wheelwright.  The later came to America and plied his trade in Buffalo, N.Y., until his decease.  In that city the father of our subject also worked for a time, and then removed to Pittsburg, where he lived for many years prior to his decease, which sad event occurred in his sixtieth year.  He was one or the substantial residents of his community, and a valued member of the Presbyterian Church.

Mrs. Catherine (Stewart) Graham, the mother of our Subject, was also born in Scotland.  She reared a family of six children, of whom William H. is the eldest.  He was reared in Pittsburg, and attended the public schools until seventeen years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the trades of pattern-maker, millwright and machinist.  After mastering these callings he took up iron-rolling, and on learning it was made night Superintendent at Carnegie's Mills in Pittsburg.  After being eighteen months in their employ, he transferred his interests to Graff, Bennett & Co., where he was General Superintendent for twelve years.

In 1889 Mr. Graham was offered the position of Superintendent in the Catasauqua Manufacturing Company.  Moving there, he took charge of one mill, and in 1893 the supervision of the three mills of the company was placed under his control.  He made many necessary changes, putting in

Bill Schmitz Page 154

new boilers, furnaces, etc., and now the mills, when running at their full capacity, give employment to about nine hundred men.  Mr. Graham gives his attention to every detail, and attends to the mixture of irons.  Having made this business his occupation since 1863, he has a reputation second to none in the county.

Miss Lydia Robb became the wife of our subject June 7, 1869.  To them has been born one child, who bears the name of Mazie A.  Our subject belongs to St. John's Lodge No. 219, F. & A. M., in Pittsburg, and in politics is a stanch Republican.

He is a man of sterling worth and belongs to the Presbyterian Church in this district.  He may truly be called a self-made man, for he started out in life empty handed and by his own industrious and enterprising habits has steadily worked his way upward to a position among the substantial citizens of the community.