The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-02-17

done more for the upbuilding Of the
city than any other one man and his
varied interests had spread out until
they took in nearly every part of the
United States in one way or another.
Mr.. Simmons was born in the town
of Euphrates, Montgomery county,
New York, September 10, 1928, and
comes of old New England stock. He
was a son of the late Ezra Simmons.
Mr.. Simmons passed his boyhood in
his native state and was fourteen years
of age when he came west with the
members of the family who reached
Southport in 1913. The family set
tied on a farm south of the city and
when Mr.. Simmons was q years of age
he came to Kenosha where he took
position as clerk in the store of
Seth Doan, a pioneer merchant of the
city This was the beginning of the
long period Of business life of Mr..
Simmons in Kenosha. Mr.. Simmons
clerked for Mr.. Doan for sixteen
months and at the end of that time he
| launched into business for himself
Early in life Mr., Simmons began to
branch out into other lines of trade.
Mr.. Simmons at this time began to
| take an interest in the advancement
of Kenosha and Wisconsin and after
a few years in the business he sold out
to devote his time to the advancement
of the interests of the Kenosha, Rock
ford and Rock Island Railway Com
/ pany accepting the presidency of the
road when it was about to be aban-
dOned The road at the time had
neither money nor credit but Mr. Sim
mons drawing on his own resources
and those of his friends managed to
complete the building of the road
which had been turned over to him
entirely The first train was run
over the road on the day of the battle
of Bull Run and this marked the first
great success of Mr.. Simmons as a build
err. The equipment of the road was
all arranged for by Mr.. Simmons
and he remained active in the man
agement OF the road until it was sold
to the Northwestern company. The
next great venture taken up by Mr.
! Simmons was the building of the Wis
consin State Telegraph Company. He
secured a half interest in this com
pany in 1856 for $500. He at once
became the president of the company
and remained in this position until
1881. He then built the line from
Milwaukee to Madison which was made
part of the holdings of the original
company. The move was decidedly
a remunerative one and during the
time the telegraph lines were under
the management of Mr.. Simmons they
paid nearly million dollars to the in.
vestors. In 1881 the lines were leased
to the Western Union. Telegraph Com.
pany, that company taking care of the
outstanding bonds and arranging to
pay a great dividend on the stock of
the company estimated in value at
$2,5OO,OOo.
Mr. Simmons in 1891 built the ''Coe
Road" up Pixies Peak, which is re-
garded as one of the most remarkable
railway lines in the world
In connection with these enterprises
which have brought Mr. Simmons
world wide recognition he had been
connected with the development OF
the telephone and the first telephone
instrument ever used was used between
Kenosha and a small village in the
central part of the state under the
patronage of Mr.. Simmons. He has
been closely connected with the great
world of finance and in this line of his
work he numbered as his friends ano
business associates many men who have
been famous as railway builders.
Mr.. Simmons was closely connected
with the upbuilding of local manufact
uring concerns and he has had a part
in the management of many companies
in Kenosha. He was the president Of
the Northwestern Wire Mattress fac
tory way back in 1872 and out of this
company grew the great Simmons Man
ufaeturing Company, the greatest in
dustry in Kenosha and the greatest
bed making plant in the world HI
was president of the First Nationa