Lumber Kings of the 19th Century- John R. Booth and Frederick Weyerhaeuser
John Rudolphus Booth (1827-1925) and Frederick Weyerhaeuser (1843-1914) were two well-known entrepreneurs of the North American lumber industry in the 19th century. They are very contrasting characters that appear to have nothing in common. They are from different parts of the world; Booth is Canadian and Weyerhaeuser is German. They did not share the same faith or educational background. Booth was Presbyterian and went to a local county school. Weyerhaeuser was Protestant and went to a Lutheran school till the age of fourteen. One might look at them and presume that they were different from each other as night and day. However, when looking at such influential…show more content… He gained the trust of his fellow partners and along with that the financial support that he needed. However, Weyerhaeuser made bold business purchases which were not always supported. He bought vast amounts of land from the Northern Pacific Railway. This was seen as a risky investment at a time when the market was unpredictable and dwindling. This risky move became a success, surprisingly, and it is estimated that by the time Weyerhaeuser passed away he had $30,000,000 in his possession.
Weyerhaeuser prided himself on being one of the few honest businessmen there was. He taught his sons the same values he held. Weyerhaeuser had lost his father at a young age and always took after his family members from a young age. From this grew a seed of a paternalistic leader who preferred to work with others instead of ruling over them. His work was his only focus in life and he did not stray into politics or desire public attention.
Influential pioneers like John Rudolphus Booth and Frederic Weyerhaeuser amassed their wealth around the same point in history. They had a different manner of approaching their work and with people at work. Both were not born to luxury but a life of hardship. Perhaps that has made all the difference in their ambition and perseverance in business endeavours. They are exemplary of the lifetime achievement that hard work can culminate to. A strong work ethic and clear
