A prominent and prosperous business man of Nashville, Henry W. Buttorff is, without doubt, connected with more of the important enterprises of Tennessee than any other man in the entire state. A son of Jno. Buttorff, he was born August 18, 1837, in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, on a farm. His grandfather, George Buttorff, came from early Holland ancestry, and as far as is known was a life-long resident of the Keystone state.

Born and reared in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, Jno. Buttorff there learned the trade of a saddle and harness maker. Subsequently removing with his family to Ohio, he located in Ashland county, where he followed his trade until his death, which occurred a short time later, in 1846. He married Margaret Waugh, who was of Scotch-Irish lineage, and to them four children were born. The mother survived her husband several years, passing away in Ashland county, Ohio.

But a child when his parents took him to Ohio, Henry W. Buttorff was there educated, primarily. Returning, when he was fifteen years old, to Pennsylvania, he was bound out, in Carlisle, to learn the trade of a sheet metal worker, at which he worked as an apprentice for four years, receiving in addition to his board and washing twenty dollars in money the first year, and an additional five dollars each year, the last year receiving thirty-five dollars. Completing his apprenticeship, Mr. Buttorff worked as a journeyman at his trade in several places, including Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Columbus, Ohio, and Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 1858, with robust health, willing hands, and a good trade, as his sole capital, he located in Nashville, Tennessee, then a city of about twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Here he commenced work as a journeyman for J. W. Wilson, who was then engaged in the stove and tinware trade. Proving himself an expert and skilful workman, Mr. Buttorff won gradual promotion in his trade, and in 1861 was admitted to partnership with his employer, becoming junior member of the firm of J. W. Wilson & Company. The history of this extensive business, its rise and progress, is best given in an address which was made by Mr. Buttorff to the “Fifty-Years-in-Business ” convention, held in Nashville, in 1912. The address was printed in the July, 1912, number of the Merchant and Manufacturer, and was as follows:

“We have no means of knowing the value of our business done annually prior to 1858. The closest approximation we can make after that date is that about one hundred stoves were sold annually until 1862, the volume of business done being about $30,000. The sale of stoves is now approximately ninety-eight thousand annually, and the volume of business approximately one and one-half million dollars.

“At that time from ten to fifteen men were employed, now between six hundred and seven hundred.

“At that time the taxes, state, county, and city, and privilege, were annually about $30, now about $25,000. This doesn’t take into consideration the taxes paid by officers and employees on individual property that has been accumulated from their connection with the industry. ”

At that time the net earnings derived from the business were from $3,000 to $5,000 annually. Now annual dividends paid to shareholders amount to $75,000. At that time there was paid out for salaries and labor about $7,000 annually, now about $450,000.

“At that time one mule made all of the deliveries in the city, and to the transportation companies. Now fifty horses, mules, wagons, buggies and automobiles are employed.

“At that time no deliveries could be made by street car lines, as there were none; now about $2,000 is paid annually by the company to street car lines for delivery of goods and transportation of employees for business purposes, only. ”

At that time there were no traveling expenses for the reason that there were no traveling salesmen employed, now about $30,000 is paid annually for traveling expenses of employees.

At that time stores or places of business were open at daybreak; now there is not much doing before 8:00 or 8:30 A. M. At that time the stores were open until 9:00 to 10:00 P. M., and during the busy season 11:00 to 12:00 P. M.; now they are closed and business is over from 5:30 to 6:00 P. M. ”

At that time salesmen got up and packed their orders at night and trucked them to the front pavement at daylight the next morning ready for delivery; now salesmen’s orders are delivered by porters and packers, and he is done with the transaction.

“At that time salesmen served an apprenticeship and were required to clean, sweep, arrange, and familiarize themselves with the business and the goods they were handling at from $2.50 to $3.00 per week; now the salesman what little knowledge he has of the business is gained from porters, catalogues, and observation.

“At that time a young man’s ambition was to make himself so valuable to the house he was with that they trusted him with the business, and eventually offered him a partnership; now he is hunting for an easier job that will pay a little more money, losing sight of the fact that the time will come when he will be a Jack of all trades and master of none.”

Mr. Buttorff gave some very interesting history in the above mentioned address, stating that the first stove and sheet metal business in Nashville of which there is any record was opened in 1832, at College street and Bank alley. The building had previously been occupied by the first bank in Nashville, and hence the name Bank alley. This stove and tin business was opened by G. W. G. Payne, who was succeeded by Snow & McKenzie.

About 1850 Mr. F. A. Treppard, who had learned his trade in the shop, and who is now residing on White’s creek, and is the oldest living sheet metal worker of whom we have any knowledge, was admitted to partnership, the style of the firm being changed to Snow, McKenzie & Company. Some years later Mr. Snow died, Treppard retired, and the firm name became McKenzie & Wilson. In time Mr. McKenzie retired and J. W. Wilson conducted the business alone.

In July, 1858, Mr. Buttorff was employed, as stated above, by Mr. Wilson as journeyman tinner. In the fall of the same year Mr. B. J. McCarthy came into the business as an apprentice.

In 1862 Mr. ButtorfE was admitted to partnership under the name of J. W. Wilson & Company. In 1865 Mr. McCarthy returned from the war, and was made foreman of the shop.

In 1869 Mr. Buttorff retired from the firm of Wilson & Company, and bought the interest of W. C. Ashley in the firm of Phillips & Ashley, then located at No. 10 Market street, and the firm name was changed to Phillips, Buttorff & Company, Mr. McCarthy being the company.

In 1870 the business was moved to No. 10 College street, and in 1871 bought out the business of J. W. Wilson and moved to the old stand, at the corner of Bank alley and College street. In 1881 the Phillips and Buttorff Manufacturing Company was incorporated, and succeeded Phillips, Buttorff & Company.

This completes the changes and makes the company the direct successors of the first stove and tinware business in the city of Nashville of which we have any knowledge. Since 1869 there has been admitted into, or consolidated with, or absorbed by, the present organization the following named firms:

McCasland, Strader & Co.; B. S. Weller & Sons; J. D. Cooper & Co.; P. W. Maxey; Maxey, McClure & Co.; McClure, Buck, & Co.; Cooper, Eubank & Co.; Buck, Barnes & Co.; T. M. Buck & Sons; Nashville Stove & Manufacturing Company; W. F. Moore & Co.; S. E. Jones & Son; Murray & Regan; Barnes & Baker; Treppard & Co.; Enterprise Stove Co.; Harley, Payne & Hart; Phillips, Vaughan & Armstead; I. N. Phillips & Co.; Phillips, Hood & Co.; Webb, Stevenson & Co.; Johnson, Doss & Co.; and Zimmer & Harris. There may have been others, but the author of this list made it from recollection rather than from record.

In addition to being at the head of the Phillips & Buttorff Manufacturing Company of Nashville, one of the largest concerns in the United States, Mr. Buttorff is intimately associated with the management of many enterprises of note. He has the distinction of being the oldest member of the Nashville Board of Trade, which he has served as president; he is vice-president of the Indiana Manufacturing Company, of Jeffersonville, Indiana; president of the Ryman Steamboat Company; a director of the Nashville, Chattanooga & Saint Louis Railroad Company; a director of the Fourth National Bank of Nashville; of the Nashville Bridge Company; of the Chase Furniture Company, of Dallas. Texas; of the Benedict Warren Hardware Company, of Memphis, Tennessee; of the Marathon Motor Works; and of the Nashville Woolen Mills; he is also president of the Harley Pottery Company; director in the Lake Helm Hotel Company; of the Lake Helm, Florida & Linton Coal Company; of the Alabama and South Pittsburg Real Estate Company, of South Pittsburg, Tennessee; and of the Davis Cockerell Real Estate Company. Mr. Buttorff is likewise a trustee of Roger Williams University, and of Boscobel College. Fraternally he is prominent in the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, in which he has taken the Scottish Rite degree. He is of the Baptist church.

Mr. Buttorff married, July, 1865, Mary E. Nokes, who was born in Nashville, a daughter of E. B. and Lucy Nokes. Of the eleven children that have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Buttorff, eight are now living, namely: Porter C., Lucy, Mary, Elizabeth, Louise, Alice, Hattie, and Isabella. 

A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities by Will T. Hale;   Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb [at] gmail [dot] com
August 28, 2005, 4:49 am Author: Will T. Hale