William S. Culbertson of New Albany,
IN
1814-1892
Father of Samuel A. Culbertson
in 1878
ca 1885
******************
1814
February 4. William Stuart Culbertson is born at
"Fairview Farm" in New Market, York County, Pennsylvania (a
short distance from Harrisburg). He is the son of William
Culbertson (Dec 7, 1787- July 12, 1824) of New Market, PA
and Julia Stuart (1787-1857) of Palmyra, Dauphin County, PA (a
wonderfully intelligent and interesting person).
He is second of six children to the couple:
Mary Ann
10/3/1811-10/6/1880
**William Stuart 2/4/1814-6/25/1892
Robert 5/16/1816-12/4/1826
John Craighead 1/20/1819-?/?1890
Julia 1/1/1822-11/?/1822
Julia De Witt 5/15/1824-11/?/1828
Julia Stuart Culbertson was the daughter of William
Stuart, Quartermaster to General Sullivan.
William Culbertson (W. S.'s father) was one of 12 children of Col.
Robert Culbertson who fought in the American Revolution, taking part in
the battles of Trenton and Princeton. This William was a merchant
in New Market.
1824
William S Culbertson's father dies. He leaves very
little by way of support for his family, only a few securities notes
that will leave little by way of income for his family.
ca 1819-1825
William Stuart Culbertson (from now on we'll call him
WS) works for a dry goods merchant in
Harrisburg, PA, age 15-21 in order to help his mother financially.
sometime after 1825
WS moves to the Louisville, KY area, then
a booming town out west.
1835
Spring. WS applied as a clerk for a dry goods merchant in
Louisville. The merchant looking for better prospects in the Fall
encourages WS to seek temporary employment in New Albany, IN (just
across the Ohio river from Louisville) where he is employed at the
town's largest dry goods store owned by General Alexander S Burnett. WS
never did return to Louisville to live or work. He will have a
long career in the dry goods business:
ca 1837-1850
WS leaves Burnett and partners with Downey & Keys, and
is business manager with the firm for about 5 years.
1840
February 19. W S Culbertson marries
Eliza Vance
(born 1822) of Corydon, IN. They will eventually have
eight
children
ca 1840
WS's younger brother John Craighead Culbertson comes to
New Albany and the two partner together as Culbertson & Bro. a
wholesale/retail business on the sw corner of Pearl & Main St. in New
Albany. The business is successful.
1851-52
W S Culbertson serves on the city council of New Albany
(2nd Ward)
1859
John Culbertson had retired from the business now known
as Culbertson & McCord Wholesale Dry Goods. WS's son William
Arthur, then 19, began clerking in the store.
1860-1861
William Arthur succeeds the retiring McCord and the firm
becomes known as Culbertson & Son.
1861
The Civil War begins. Within 3 months, WS and John
organized the Independent Home Guard for protection of the town.
1861-1865
WS was active in raising money for the Union cause. He
also profits immensely. His big break came when he brokered the
sale of 50 carloads of Cannelton Mills cotton to a New York firm, bound
for delivery to England. However the port of New York was so tied up it
could not take the cotton, so the order was canceled, and returned to
Culbertson. Shortly afterward, the war caused the price of cotton
to go through the roof, achieving many times its former value, and WS
Culbertson made bank.
Literally....
He went into banking. In 1864, a new bank, the
First National Bank of New Albany was originated and WS was one of its
directors. He had also owned stock in the State Bank of
Indiana/Bank of the State of Indiana.
Also during this time (1863) WS begins to build a
magnificent mansion.
1865
Jan 3. Eliza Culbertson, WS' wife, dies of typhoid pneumonia,
leaving 5 motherless children ages 6mo to 18 years.
1867
January 10. WS remarries. His new bride is
Cornelia Warner Eggleston, a
widow from Evansville, IN. Together they will have
two children. Cornelia was
born August 27, 1832 in Pennyan, NY.
September 29. WS oldest daughter, Julia dies of
"an affliction of the heart". She is just 21, and was known for
her beautiful singing voice.
1865-1870
WS becomes involved and works tirelessly with a group
working to establish a New Albany to St. Louis Air Line Railway. (An air
line railroad was a railroad that was relatively flat and straight,
choosing a shorter route over an easier route. Today we'd call it a
bee-line)
WS becomes a stockholder and director of the New Albany
and Charlestown Turnpike Company.
By this time, WS is also one of the richest men in the
State of Indiana, second only to W. C . DePauw.
1870-1880
January 21 1870. WS buys the property next door to
his mansion, known as "the Whitehill tract" from John B and Reunia B
Whitstandley.
WS investes in the New Albany Glass works of W M Mahan &
Co and J Bragdon & Co, the New Albany Rolling Mills (sheet metal)
WS Culbertson & Son enlarged and expanded its business
at 68-70 Pearl Street and made the largest dry good sale ever made in
one day in the state, the crates and packages covering "half a square."
Was president of the New Albany Light & Coke Company.
WS funded the construction (1873), supervised and bore
all expenses for the Culbertson
Old Ladies Home. The home was for worthy women with no means of support..
He also provided for them by endowment after his death.
Culbertson Ladies' Home
it's 20 rooms accommodated 30-40 ladies.
Sometime shortly after the Ladies Home, WS also founded the Cornelia
Memorial Orphans Home on Ekin Ave. in New Albany. He bought the
land and paid for the construction, then turned the institution over to
trustees for management.
1880-1885
WS dissolves the dry goods business and focuses solely
on banking. Continues to make profitable investments. He
also invests heavily in bank stocks in St. Paul, Minn. (about half a
million dollars).
1885
WS is elected vice-president of the National Banker's
Association.
1886
WS was the chief financier and partner in the city's 1st
electric company, The City Electric Light Company at the same location
as the New Albany Gas & Coke Company at 4th & Sycamore (a street renamed
for Culbertson in 1897). Began lighting the streets of New Albany.
The Kentucky and Indiana Bridge opens between New Albany
and Portland (Louisville). WS had a large interest and role as a
stock and bond holder for the project, and was vice-president for the
company for several years. He disposed all interest in this about
1890.
1892
June 25. WS dies of heart failure following a flu-like
illness. Stockholdings at his death were in bank and gas stocks,
and government bonds.
Samuel
A Culbertson Timeline
Main
timeline
Genealogy
Samuel's father:
William S Culbertson
of New Albany, IN and his three wives:
Eliza Vance Culbertson
Cornelia Culbertson
Rebecca Keith Culbertson
William S Culbertson Mansion, New Albany, IN
Children
of William Stuart Culbertson
About Samuel and his family:
1886 Wedding of Samuel A Culbertson / Louise
Craig
Louise Craig Culbertson, wife of Samuel A.
Culbertson
Samuel & Louise Culbertson's 1st house 1886
Telegram from Mrs. Sam Culbertson to the War Dept 1899
1918: Samuel Culbertson enlists in the army
Culbertson Family vacationing at Narragansett,
1928
Churchill Downs years
