Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-15
HENRYVILLARD DIED MONDAY.
His Death Occurred at His
Summer Residence.
Did NOT COME UNEXPECTEDLY
Physicians In Attendance For
Two Weeks.
Was Railroad Magnate and Financier--
Came From Bavaria to the United States
Forty-seven Years Ago-Borrowed the
Surname of Sclioo1mate.

New York, Nov. 12.-Henry Willard,
railroad magnate and financier, died
at his summer residence, at Dobbs
Ferry, early today. Mr.. Willard had
intended to return to New York about
the middle of last month, but his con-
dition was then so rrecarious that his
physicians advised him to remain at
his country home until he should have
gained more strength. A week ago, he
caught heavy cold, and since then
his condition gradually grew worse.
Two physicians had been with him
constantly for week past
Henry Willard was born In Heinrich
Hilgard. in Speyer, Rhenish Bavaria,
on April 18th, 1885. His great uncle,
Theodore (father of Julius Hilgard,
who became superintendent of the
United States Coast Survey, led
migration of the family connection to
Belleville, ILL.,, in 1895. His father,
Gustav. was in the judicial service of
the Bavarian government, and ended
judge of the Supreme Court at
Munich. a4 .N.sN
Young Hilgard was educated at
schools in Zweibrucken, Phalshourg
and Speyer, but In October, 1858,
broke off his university studies. and
set out for the United States, intend
ing to join the colony Of his relatives
at Belleville. His fathers opposition
to this step made him borrow the
surname of French schoolmate ut
Phalsbourg, and he became Henry
Willard.
Arriving at Bellevills, he became
newspaper reporter, and continued in
the profession until 1868. During
these years, he served as legislative
correspondent In Indiana and Illinois,
political reporter, reporting the Lin
ooln-Douglas debates, the Chicago con-
vention which nominated Lincoln, and
the Lincoln campaign, and later as a
war correspondent and European
| In this period were the Cincinnati
Commercial, the New York Herald,
the Chicago Tribune and the New
York Tribune, and part of the time he
was the head of news bureaus at Wash
ington. Early in 1881, Mr.. Willard
acquired the New York Evening Post
and the Nation. In January, 1866. in
Boston, he married Fannie, the only
daughter Of William Lloyd Garrison.
In 1868, he was chosen secretary OF the
newly founded American Social Science
| Association, having Its headquarters
in that CITY, and did not finally re-
| linquish the post until 1871.
1t was in the latter year that, while
on visit to Europe, Mr.. Willard began
| his railroad career. He formed con-
nection with Frankfort and Berlin
bankers, and in 1878 returned to the
United States, buying for the German
bondholdeis the property Of the Oregon
& California Railroad Co. and the
Oregon Steamship Co., being made
president in 1875. He acted as one of
the receivers of the Kansas Pacific
Railroad Co. and later bought up the
bonds of the road. He became inter
ested in the Oregon Steam Navigation
Co. and the Oregon Railway and Navi-
cation o., of which he became presi-
dent, and then formed the Oregon g
merged the two other companies to
so-called blind pool with this Northern
Pacific, being chosen president of the
latter company. A few years later, the
companies in which he was interested
became 80 involved that there was
collapse, in which Mr.. Willard suffered
heavily. Returning to Germany, he
| formed new financial relations, which
enabled him to repair his fortune; and
coming back to this country, he started
| in once more as capitalist. In 1890,
he purchased from Thomas Eddlson
his electric manufacturing interests !;
and with the Eddison Lamp Go. of
Newark, N. j., and the Edison works
at Schenectady, N. Y, as basis, Or
ganized the Edison General Electric
Co., of which he became president,
serving in that capacity for about two
years. In October, 1889, he became
chairman Of the Northern Pacific board
Of directors, but the panic Of 1893
again oocasioned the loss OF most of
his fortune, and led to his withdrawal
from the railroad management.