James Edwin Lindsy was born in North Hudson, Essex County, New York, April 12, 1826. The subject of this sketch obtained his education in the common schools of North Hudson, supplemented by a short academic course. His father was at different times lumberman, fariner and hotel keeper. The boy assisted him until he reached his majority, when he began business for himself in North Hudson. The firm was known as Lindsay & Tompkins, both young men. They conducted lumbering operations in that section of New York State. The difficulties under which they labored may be illustrated by a state ment of the fact that they were forced to haul their logs seven miles to be sawed and the lumber twenty-three miles after it was manufactured. In this business, as in all others, he was successful. In 1856, the timber becoming scarce in New York, our subject made a trip to Wisconsin and in Clark County he located timber. In 1858 he returned to the East and became occupied in various pursuits, such as scaling logs, surveying lands and estimating tijnber. In 1861 he moved to Davenport, Iowa, believing that point to be a good market for the lumber that would be cut from the Wisconsin lands that he had located some three years previously. At this time he was associated in business with Eliphalet IIarris, the firm being known as Harris & Lindsay. After one year of existence this copartnership was dissolved through the purchasing of Mr. Harris' interest by Mr. J. B. Phelps, brother-in-law of our subject. The business continued under style of Lindsay & Phelps until April 1, 1890, when it was incorporated as the Lindsay & Phelps Company. Of this organization, which is capitalized for five hundred and thirty thousand dollars, Mr. Lindsay is president.
BIOGRAPHIES