Lemuel Smith
Lemuel Smith's father was from Devonshire, England. After his marriage John Smith moved to Massachusetts, where Lemuel was born in 1820, and then later to Essex County, New Jersey.
Lemuel, after reaching his age of majority, moved to New York City to work in the cloth business. Within three years he made a career change and started working with Eugene Ely and George Cook at 71 Fulton. In 1842 the office and sales room was moved to 102 John Street. Lemuel relocated with it. They were now known as the New York Card Manufactory.
Lemuel, after reaching his age of majority, moved to New York City to work in the cloth business. Within three years he made a career change and started working with Eugene Ely and George Cook at 71 Fulton. In 1842 the office and sales room was moved to 102 John Street. Lemuel relocated with it. They were now known as the New York Card Manufactory.
To supplement his business at John Street he returned to his cloth business past and also sold bonnet boards for making bonnets.
Also in 1844 he married Frances Henrietta Stephens in Essex County, New Jersey. This now made him related to his partners because his mother-in-law was an Ely.
Lemuel soon added stationery to his location and another store at 329 Bowery.
By 1850 Bartlett's cards, now being made by George Cook, was going out of business. The good news was Lemuel took on a partner, Samuel T. Peters, and they became Smith & Peters stationery importers. The bad news was Lemuel's wife of only six years died from tuberculosis.
From 1849 to 1857 Lemuel's business address was next door at 100 John Street. A deck wrapper has been found with this address and the name New York Manufactory on it.
Lemuel and Samuel probably met at the Church of the Divine Paternity.(Shown on the left) where they both attended, along with the famous P. T. Barnum and Horace Greeley. The congregation's original name was Friends of the Final Restitution until 1848. It would later become the Fourth Universalist Society.
Samuel's father had been a drygoods merchant and he was also from England like Lemuel's father. In the census that year a John Smith, age 24 from England, was living with Lemuel and may have been Samuel's brother and a clerk in their store.
In 1857 they moved around the corner to 128 William after their building was purchased by the New York & Brooklyn Brass Company.
By 1860 Smith & Peters are now also card makers. But, it was not playing cards. And by 1865 their cards appeared in ads across the country and they had agents in several states.
By 1860 Smith & Peters are now also card makers. But, it was not playing cards. And by 1865 their cards appeared in ads across the country and they had agents in several states.
In 1865 Lemuel became a silent partner with George A. Olney and Charles D Pratt until 1868.
Olney was 30 and had started a small stationery business in 1861 also at 41 John. Pratt, a longtime stationer and Olney’s former boss, joined him in 1864. Lemuel invested $10,000 ($186,000 today). It turned out to be a good business deal for Lemuel.
Smith & Peters would continue their very successful partnership until 1872 when they both retired. Lemuel was 52 and went back to New Jersey. Peters was 50 and stayed in the city, but unfortunately died from cholera the next year.
In 1877 Lemuel lost his second wife. They had been married for twenty-two years. That same year he decided to get into the hotel business. So he built one. The area across the bay from his home in the south end of present-day Highlands, New Jersey, was a tourist destination for beach goers. It was also some vacant property he owned and he decided to capitalize on it.
His Bellevue Hotel was a popular spot until late 1882 when a guest came down with typhoid fever and sued the hotel for $10,000 ($300,000) because it was unsanitary. After a year long fight Lemuel lost and had to pay. Five years later he sold the Hotel Bellevue and property for $105,000 ($3.5 million). It expanded and became the Normandie-By-The Sea Hotel.
In 1877 Lemuel lost his second wife. They had been married for twenty-two years. That same year he decided to get into the hotel business. So he built one. The area across the bay from his home in the south end of present-day Highlands, New Jersey, was a tourist destination for beach goers. It was also some vacant property he owned and he decided to capitalize on it.
His Bellevue Hotel was a popular spot until late 1882 when a guest came down with typhoid fever and sued the hotel for $10,000 ($300,000) because it was unsanitary. After a year long fight Lemuel lost and had to pay. Five years later he sold the Hotel Bellevue and property for $105,000 ($3.5 million). It expanded and became the Normandie-By-The Sea Hotel.
Lemuel's home across the bay and his property next to his former hotel
Normandie-by-the-Sea Hotel
Before Lemuel sold his hotel he had invested heavily in, and was an owner, in the Benjamin & Weaver Cattle Company in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Wyoming was still a territory at the time. It made him a lot of money apparently.
In 1889 when Lemuel died, his estate was worth $5-10 million today and was to be divided among his three natural children. But, he left his beloved only step-daughter Mary Henrietta $10,000 ($325,000).
His three children got $20,000 each ($650,000) upfront and then were to get a third of the estate. Plus, Lemuel Jr. also got his father’s shares of the cattle company which he was also already an investor in. But first Lemuel Jr. was to have $50,000 ($1.6 million) deducted from his share for money he had owed his father. The other two children would get to split that deduction of his money.
Junior was not happy and started contesting the Will. Over the years he sold off his rights a little at a time to get by. His fight went on for 25 years and he lost all four times he went to court. It finally ended in 1913. .
In 1889 when Lemuel died, his estate was worth $5-10 million today and was to be divided among his three natural children. But, he left his beloved only step-daughter Mary Henrietta $10,000 ($325,000).
His three children got $20,000 each ($650,000) upfront and then were to get a third of the estate. Plus, Lemuel Jr. also got his father’s shares of the cattle company which he was also already an investor in. But first Lemuel Jr. was to have $50,000 ($1.6 million) deducted from his share for money he had owed his father. The other two children would get to split that deduction of his money.
Junior was not happy and started contesting the Will. Over the years he sold off his rights a little at a time to get by. His fight went on for 25 years and he lost all four times he went to court. It finally ended in 1913. .
1904 and 1913 Articles About The Lawsuits