The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-08
A REMARKABLE CAREER AS
BUSINESS MAN.
ACQUIRED A FORTUNE MANUFACTURING
His Funeral Was Held Yesterday Afternoon
From the Residence of His Son.n Law,
Capt. S. A. Ashe-.A Large Number
Of Durham People Present.

ed his last. tie mas Deen III lining
health for some time and few weeks
ago underwent an operation at Rex
Hospital He seemed to improve at
first, but soon he began steadily TO
fail and he became weaker until his
death. ia2s
The funeral services were held yester-
day at / O'Clock from the residence of
Can't. S. A, Ashe, Mr.. Wizards son-in-
law. The services were conducted by
Rev. DR.. M. NJ. Marshall, rector OF
Christ church.
The hymns sung at the home, abide
With Me-" "Art Thou Weary, Art
Thou Languid," and Lead Kindly
Light" were specially sweet and appro-
pirate at the funeral of this good man.
The pall-bearers were Messrs. G. Il.
Root, Gen. r. +. Hoke. julius Lewis,
G. Fl. Belvin, Chas. E. Johnson, n. w.
West, L. G. Cole. j. L. Pinnix and
w. NJ. Morgan.
Among those from Durham to attend
the funeral were Messrs. Jas. ID.
Southgate. S. f. Tomfinson, Mr.. and
Mrs. S. w. Holman, Mr.. and Mrs. @.
r. Rawls, L. G. Cole, VIM. Bassett,
Col. e. J. Parrish, Il. III. Martin, &. Z.
Taylor, w. NJ. Morgan, J. i. Pinnix,
w. III. Branson and B. l.. Duke.
Mr.. Willard was born in Massachu-
sets in 1919, and was a descendant OF
Mai. Simon Willard, famous in New
England history. At the age of ID Mr..
Willard moved to Charleston, landing
there without money or friends. He
soon had both. He married in North
Carolina and moved to Washington, y.
c., where he laid the foundations of his
fortune.
Mr.. Willard was well known in Raj
eigh. His nome on HillSboro street is
one of the handsomest in the city. For
a long time he was president of the Ma
tional Bank of Raleigh. After retiring
from that position, Mr.. Willard entered
into the manufacturing business, engag-
ing in the manufacture of cotton goods
at Willardsyille, and the manufacture
of snuff and tobacco as senior member
of the r. T. Morris and Son Manufac-
turing Company at Durham. Upon the
death of the late Mr.. Eugene Morehead,
he became president of Morehead's
Banking Company at Durham.
Mr.. Willard had been reelected a di-
rector in the Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad for thirty successive years and
his judgment was relied upon by his
associates.
Mr.. Willard had only one child, a
daughter, who married Captain Samuel
A. Ashe. She died some years ago. Mr..
Willard had made his home with Capt.
Ashe and his own grandchildren when
he was in Raleigh.
He was man of fine business ability,
L. sag
marvellous. He succeeded at whatever
he undertook and left a fine estate.
About the time Mr. Willard came
South. Eastern North Carolina was the
granary of the large rice plantations OH
The sea coast. and Charleston obtained
by. sailing vessels from Washington, \.
g.. great quantities of our corn. 1t
thus happened that Mr.. Willard deter
mined to locate at Washington and en-
gage in the corn business on account OF
Charleston merchants. Reaching Will
mington by steamer in May, 1910, he
fell in with Rev. DIR. Hawks and some
of the most prominent business men II
Newbern who were returning from the
Episcopal convention, and travelled III
the stage with them from Goldsboro to
Newbern. They too were so pleased
with the young stranger that they en-
tertained him with fine hospitality at
Newborn and sought to persuade him
to locate there. The remembrance OF
this hospitable treatment by the first
men of Newbern to a mere youth, with
nothing to recommend him but his own
agreeable personally, was gratefully
treasured by Mr.. Willard to the day OF
his death, But he adhered to his pur-
pose to locate at Washington. and there
too he was received with a kindness that
he never forgot. An old gentlemen,
Mai. Latham, particularly took him by
the hand, and through his aid Mr.. Will
lard never lacked pecuniary resources
for any business undertaking. He was
soon Joined there by Moody b. Smith
and Edward It. Warren, two young law
yers from the North, and intimate
friendships were established severed on
w by death: and in 1916 his brothers,
Mr.. A. A. Willard and Mr. James Wal
lard Joined him in his business. Mr..
Willard soon became n prosperous ana
trusted merchant indeed his business
grew until he was the greatest mer-
chant in all that part of the State. On
the map one sees Oregon Inlet, just
off of Roanoke Island and might sup
pose that it was there that Sir Walter
Raleigh's explorers first entered; and
might wonder why it was named Gore
gon" That inlet was cut by a storm in
1916 and the first vessel to enter it was
a steamer Mr.. Willard had bought at the
North. which by stress of weather was
forced to run that peril or be lost on the
coast. The name of the steamer was
the Oregon and the inlet was called ar
ter it.
When the war came on Mr. Willard
co-operated with the State authorities,
and rendered valuable aid and service.
Later. he wound up his business at
Washington aud purchased the Orange
cotton factory and the Clover orchard
cotton factory in Alamance county. and
also became interested with Col. ChildS
in the Saluda factory. there being but
very few factories then in existence in
tn" South.
Mr.. Willard at once made arrange.