- HON. WILLIAM A. LAWRENCE, capitalist and manufacturer; came
to Janesville in October,
- 1844; was employed for a few months as clerk, then engaged
in general mercantile business; first associated in partnership
with Richard STOUGHTON; this was dissolved, and, in 1847, a new
partnership was formed, composed of William A. LAWRENCE, E. H.
STRONG and Volney ATWOOD, under the firm name of Lawrence, Strong
& Co., which existed until 1855, since which time Messrs.
Lawrence & Atwood have carried on continuously the hardware
business. In 1858, they enlarged their business by adding coal,
wood, lime, cement, etc., to the already extensive trade. Mr.
LAWRENCE was Town Clerk, of Janesville, when it embraced several
townships. He was elected County treasurer in 1847, and served
three years consecutively in that office, afterward one year
as Deputy Treasurer. In 1851, he was elected Assemblyman; in
1858, was elected Mayor; in 1862, elected to the State Senate;
in 1864, re-elected as a member of that body, and was chairman
of the Joint Committee on finance. He was cashier of the State
Bank when organized in 1855; he was also Secretary and Director
of the Rock River Valley R. W. Co. He has been prominently connected
with various banking, manufacturing and other enterprises tending
to advance the interest of Janesville. He is President of the
Janesville Cotton Manufacturing Co.; President of the Wisconsin
Shoe Co., and he and Mr. ATWOOD carry on the extensive woolen
mills known as the Wheeler Mills.
-
- Taken from "History of Rock County, Wis.," (c)1879,
p. 710.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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