The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19
vitation. Major Mckinley did that last


thing to find man whose reputation ex-
tends over so wide scope of country as
does that of NJ. A. Hanna, who is one OF
the city's most prominent, influential and
deservedly honored citizens, and one OF
the foremost men of the Buckeye State.
ihe business interests OF Mr.. hanna are
not confined to Cleveland or Ohio, but are
distributed over wide territory, reaching
into at least half dozen States, and are
as diversified and important as they are
extensive.
For half century the Hanna family
has been most closely identified with the
commercial, financial and industrial his
tory OF Cleveland, and it's members during
that time have contributed as much as
those OF any family toward the building
up OF the city and its many industries and
institutions. Mr.. Hanna's father, DR..
Leonard Hanna, was a leading citizen OF
New Lisbon, Ohio, until his removal to
Cleveland in 1852, when he at once TOOK
rank with the prominent men of the city.
He was one of the founders of the whole
sale grocery house of Hanna, Garretson d
Co., which was one of the largest and most
important firms in that line in the city,
the partners being his brother, Robert
Hanna. and Hiram Garretson, both OF
whom were then and later very prom
inent among the leading business men OF
the city.
M. A. HANNAH native of Ohio. He was
born at New Lisbon, Columbiana County,
on September a. 1887. and it was in that
county that his early boyhood was spent.
He attended the schools of his native
town, and upon his removal to Cleveland
was given the full benefit of the city
schools, and the thorough public
school education he there obtained
was supplemented by a season at the
Western Reserve College. His business
career began in 1857. when he became an
employe of the firm of which his father
was member. He continued with that
firm and its successor, Robert Hanna
Co., until 1867, and during that time
originated the Buckeye Oil Company,
which he managed in connection with his
other duties, thus giving evidence at that
early age of the splendid business talents
and capacity which have been so fully
developed in later life.
On September 81, 1864, Mr.. Hanna was
married to Miss G. Augusta Rhodes, daugh-
ter of the late D. P. Rhodes, and three
years later, when the great pioneer iron
and coal firm of Rhodes d Gard retired
from business, he became member OF its
successor, the firm of Rhodes & Co., the
other mem bers of which were Robert
Rhodes and G. II. Warrington. They
were heavy dealers in coal and iron,
and for number of years did an ex-
@ar, l.s~ haIr, lA0o al
in the Tuscarawa Valley, while their trade
extended all over the country. The firm
was dissolved in 1885, being succeeded by
NJ. A. Hanna & Co., of which Mr.. Hanna
became the senior member.
While Mr.. Hanna's labors were for
number of years given to this great enter
prise, he was and is interested in many
ways in other lines of commercial and
business activity. In 1872 he organized in
connection with other leading capitalists
the Cleveland Transportation Company,
which built a line of steamers and their
consorts for the Lake Superior iron-ore
trade, and of this he has been director
from the first and was for several
years its general manager, resigning
the same when other business interests
X
most of his time. In 1881 he organized
the West Republic Mining Company of
Marquette County, Mich, and was elected
it's president, which position and that of
director he still holds. In 1882 he organ
lied the Pacific Coal and Iron Company,
with headquarters at St. Paul, Minn., was
elected its president, and still continues in
the same position.
He was director in and vice-president
OF the Hubbell Stove Company of Buffalo.
In 1882 he purchased controlling in
terest in the West Side Street Railway
Company, and, with his usual enter
prise and courage, put money and man.
agement enough into it to make it a
success. He was elected president of the
company and has remained at the head
of that enterprise during its changes and
consultations. Mr.. Hanna is director
of the Globe Iron Works. one of the largest
ship building concerns in the country, and
to him as much as to any one man is due
the credit of making Cleveland the largest
building point in the United States.
Mr.. Hanna has always been Repub-
lican and believer in tariff for the pro-
lection of American industry. He is one
of those who believe that every business
man should exercise the right influence in
the conduct of affairs, believing in per-
sonal effort as matter of right and duty,
and he has been active in the politics of
Ohio for a number of years; not q
seeker after office, but seeker after
good government administered by the best
men. He is recognized to-day as one of
the political leaders of the State, his adj
vice and counsel being sought On all i'm
portant occasions by those having in
charge the various campaigns, and in this
come ction, it may be said, in the Ian
guage of one of his friends, IN. A. Hanna
is power in Ohio politics, and he has
always stood for clean and honest
methods" In 1884 he was one of the dele
gates-at-large from the Republican State
Convention to the National Convention
in Chicago, and during that and the follow
ing years served on the Republican State
Executive Committee of Ohio. In August,
1885, he was appointed by President Cleve-
land as one of the Government directors of
the Union Pacific Railroad, position un-
sought, but accepted, because it was an
honorary one, to which no salary was at