Frank A. Dudley
| Hon. Frank A. Dudley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 45th District (Niagara) | |
|
In office January 1, 1896 – December 31, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Henry S. Tompkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 30, 1864 Town of Wilson, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
September 21, 1945 (aged 81) Lewiston, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Etta (Brown) Dudley |
| Residence | Lewiston, New York |
| Alma mater | Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee |
| Profession | Lawyer, Businessman & Hotelier |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
Frank Alonzo Dudley (1864–1945) was an American lawyer, politician, hotelier and business owner associated with Niagara Falls, New York. Dudley established the United Hotels Company of America and the "Lewiston Heights" neighborhood in Lewiston, New York.
Early life
Frank Alonzo Dudley was born in the Town of Wilson, New York on January 30, 1864. He was the third of five children to John A. Dudley (1829–), born in Guilford, Connecticut, and Henrietta (Wright) Dudley (1832–1887), born in Lockport, New York.[1]
John A. Dudley was the son of Phineas Dudley and Elizabeth (Graves) Dudley, a great granddaughter of Governor Webster of Connecticut. Henrietta (Wright) Dudley was the daughter of lthureal and Candace (Gaskill) Wright.[1]
During his infancy, his parents moved to the Town of Whitewater, Wisconsin, where he lived on a farm until he was about 14 years old. At that point, he moved to the village, now city, of Whitewater, Wisconsin and for the next four years, he attended the district school and subsequently that State Normal School,[2] which later became the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.[3]
Legal career
In 1882, he returned to New York, relocating to Lockport, where he read law with Joshua Gaskill. He was admitted to the bar in June 1886, at the same time as Cuthbert W. Pound.[2] In 1887, he settled permanently in Niagara Falls, New York, where in 1888, he formed a co-partnership with W. Caryl Ely, under the firm name of "Ely & Dudley", which later became "Ely, Dudley & Cohn."[1]
Dudley was also a partner, until his death in 1945, with "Dudley, Gray, Phelps, & Gray" (with Alfred W. Gray, Alpheus R. Phelps, and Newman Gray),[4] a law firm based out of the NRHP listed United Office Building in Niagara Falls, New York he had built in 1929 by James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson.[5]
Political career
In politics, he was an active and prominent Republican,[1] and in 1895 and 1896, was elected to the 119th and 120th New York State Legislature. As a candidate for the Assembly, Dudley received 3,556 votes; to 2,226 for Edward T. Williams, Democrat; 200 for Elmer B. Townsend, Prohibitionist; and 53 for B. Burt Hayes, Populist.[2]
In the Assembly of 1896, Dudley was a member of the "Judiciary Claims" and "Federal Relations" committees[2] and in the 120th Legislature, he was the "Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment."[6] Dudley introduced and championed several bills which became laws including:
- A law giving the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Manufacturing Company (owned by Jacob F. Schoellkopf) the permanent right to use the waters of the Niagara River, sufficient to develop 100,000 horsepower[1]
- A graduated inheritance tax bill designed to equalize the burden of taxation throughout the State. The bill was known as the “Dudley tax bill,” and was vetoed by Governor Frank S. Black.[1]
Later during the 1932 Presidential Election campaign, Dudley served as president of the "Republican Hotel Men's Association."[6]
Business career
Dudley was early connected with the power development at Niagara Falls and was one of the incorporators and organizers of many different companies.[1]
Transportation and railways
He was one of the incorporators and organizers of the Buffalo and Niagara Falls Electric Railway,[2] later part of International Railway System.[7] Dudley was also one of the originators of the Whirlpool and Northern Electric Railway, which extended into the Town of Lewiston.[2] He was one of the organizers of the 1898 Lewiston Connecting Bridge between Lewiston, New York and Queenston, Ontario in Canada.[7]
Dudley organized the "North Coast Railway of State of Washington," of which he was the first president. The railway was later taken over by the Harriman Interests, and became part of the Southern and Union Pacific Systems.[7]
Banking
He was a stockholder and a vice-president in a number of business and commercial enterprises of Niagara Falls, including the "Electric City Bank," (established December 1, 1894).[1] which later merged into "Niagara Falls Trent Co.", of which Dudley was its first President.[7]
Electricity & Power
Dudley was one of the founders and served as vice-president of "Niagara Falls Electrical Transmission Company", incorporated February 25, 1905 for the transmission and sale of electricity. The president and treasurer was Frederic Thomas Nicholls and the company was controlled through stock ownership by the Electrical Development Company of Ontario, Ltd.[8] It owned franchises in the towns of Tonawanda, Lockport, Pendleton, Royalton, and Sweden, as well as the cities of Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, and Lockport, including the villages of Medina and Holley. In addition to the franchises, the company had a controlling interest in the "Niagara Falls Gas and Electric Light Company" (Dudley was president and Nicholls was vice-president and treasurer).[9] Its revenues derived from the rental of real estate.[8]
Dudley was a director of the Niagara Falls Power Co., the first great power development of Niagara.[7]
Real estate and hotels
Real estate
In 1901, Dudley organized the Niagara Falls Country Club, of which he was President for 4 terms.[7] In 1916, the Club moved from Niagara Falls to Lewiston. A.W. Tillinghast was engaged to design the course in Lewiston, completed in 1919. The former site in Niagara Falls became the Hyde Park Golf Club.[10]
Dudley, along with Paul A. Schoellkopf (son of Arthur Schoellkopf) and Afred W. Gray, financed the "Lewiston Heights" neighborhood, part of which was transferred to the Niagara Falls Country Club for their move to Lewiston.[7] At one time Dudley, Schoellkopf, and Gray owned all the land at "Lewiston Heights." Both Dudley and Schoellkopf built mansions on the escarpment[4] (Dudley at 551 Mountain View[11] and Schoellkopf at 583 Mountain View[12]).
Dudley's wife Etta, through her involvement with the Niagara Falls chapter of the "National Society Daughters of the American Revolution", was instrumental in the restoration of Old Fort Niagara between 1926 and 1934.[13]
Hotels
In 1910, Dudley, along with F. W. Rockwell, organized the United Hotels Company of America and Dudley served as its president.[6] Its executive office was at 45 Falls St. in Niagara Falls, New York and its administrative office was at 25 W. 45th St. in New York City. He was also president of the American Purchasing Corporation with offices in London, England, New York City and Toronto. He was president of the Mount Royal Hotel Company, Ltd., Montreal, Canada; president King Edward Hotel Co. Ltd., Toronto; President, Connaught Hotel Co. Ltd., Hamilton; President, The Clifton Co. Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ont.; President, Seneca Hotel, Rochester, NY; President, Rochester Hotel, Rochester, NY; President, Bancroft Hotel, Worcester, Mass.; President, Robert Trent Hotel Co., Newark, NY; President, Penn Harris Hotel Co., Harrisburg, Pa; President, Stacy Hotel Co., Trenton, NJ; President, Hotel Co. Akron, Ohio.[7]
In addition the being president of United Hotels Company of America, Dudley served as vice-president of American Hotels Corporation, as well as president or vice-president of 24 hotel subsidiary companies, at the time the largest hotel group in the world under one control[6] Dudley has been referred to as "the Conrad Hilton of his day."[4]
Personal life
Dudley married Etta Brown Payne, daughter of Wesley Payne and Harriet Ann Sackett (Brown) of Niagara Falls, New York, on December 17, 1890.[1] Etta was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution through three great grandfathers, Elijah Gilbert, Stephen Pain, and Rufus Butts.[1] Etta organized the Niagara Falls Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on April 4, 1922. It was the 147th in the state and the charter was presented on November 5, 1932.[13]
Dudley was a Knight Templar Mason, holding membership in Niagara Frontier Lodge, No. 132 F. & A.M., a member of the order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution,[1] the Sovereign Colonial Society of Royal Descent, Society of Colonial Wars, and Society of the American Revolution.[6] For 5 years,[7] he volunteered with the National Guard as a member of the Forty-second Separate Company.[2] He was also a member of various organizations for the development and improvement of international waterways and the Erie Canal. He was a member of the Bankers Club of New York in New York City, the Niagara Club, and the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.[7] Dudley was also president of the Niagara Falls Historical Society.
Frank and Etta lived at 626 Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls, New York[7] for many years until they moved to 551 Mountain View Drive in "Lewiston Heights." The house in "Lewiston Heights" (completed in 1927) was designed by prominent Buffalo, New York architect James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson, who had designed several of the hotels for the United Hotels Company of America.
Frank A. Dudley died at his home on September 21, 1945.[6] Etta Dudley later died on August 1, 1957.[14]
See also
- 119th New York State Legislature
- 120th New York State Legislature
- United Hotels Company of America
- William Caryl Ely
| New York Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inaugural holder |
New York State Assembly, 45th District 1896–1897 |
Succeeded by Henry S. Tompkins |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pool, William (1897). Landmarks of Niagara County, New York. Niagara County, NY: D. Mason & Company, Publishers. pp. 130–131. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Murlin, Edgar L. (1896). The New York red book, Vol. 4. New York, New York: James B. Lyon, Publisher. pp. 216–217.
- ↑ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1952 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1952; p. 393
- 1 2 3 Hewitt, Tom (April 1958). "Historic Lewiston is Home of Falls Leaders" (PDF). Niagara Gazette. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Frank A. Dudley of United Hotels". The New York Times. September 22, 1945. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Greene, B. M. (1922). Who's who in Canada: An Illustrated Biographical Record of Men and Women of the Time, Vol. 16. Toronto, Canada: International Press Limited. p. 82. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- 1 2 Documents of the Senate of the State of New York, Vol. 10. Albany, New York: J. B. Lyon Company, Printers. 1918. p. 25. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ Documents of the Senate of the State of New York, Vol. 10. Albany, New York: J. B. Lyon Company, Printers. 1918. p. 15. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ Ruggiero, Ken (May 8, 2010). "Niagara Falls' Hyde Park Golf Course has storied past". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ LaChiusa, Chuck. "Online Buildings - Esenwein & Johnson". buffaloah.com. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ↑ "Lewiston - Town - Part, Brew Subdiv., Creek road Extension, Lewiston Heights, Gorge View Park Inc.". buffalohistory.com. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Chapter History". niagaradar.awardspace.com. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ Sackett, Chris. "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1847–2004". sackettfamily.info. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Retrieved 15 October 2015.