Page 178 - John Anderson

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The following year, on November
9, he married Mary Harkness. On
March 18, 1855, their first child,
Jennie Louise, was born. Jennie
Louise lived until 1889, when at
the age of 34 she died following
complications from child birth. A
second child, Carrie, was born on
June 18, 1858. She died three
years later. On December 2,
1870, the Flagler’s only son,
Harry Harkness Flagler, was born.
During the Civil War years in
1862, Flagler founded the Flagler
and York Salt Company, a salt
mining and production business
in Saginaw, Michigan with his
brother-in-law Barney York. By 1865, the end of the Civil War caused
a major decline in salt demand and the Flagler and York Salt
Company collapsed. Heavily in debt, Flagler returned to Bellevue,
Ohio. He had lost his initial $50,000 investment and an additional
$50,000 he had borrowed from his father-in-law and Dan Harkness.
The next year Flagler re-entered the grain business as a commission
merchant. Flagler had become acquainted with John D. Rockefeller,
who worked as a commission agent with Hewitt and Tuttle for the
Harkness Grain Company. By the mid-1860s, Cleveland had become
the centre of the oil refining industry in America and Rockefeller left
the grain business to start his own oil refinery. In 1867, Rockefeller,
needing capital for his new venture, approached Flagler. Flagler in
turn borrowed $100,000 from his wife’s uncle, Stephen V. Harkness;
on condition that Flagler became a partner. The Rockefeller, Andrews
and Flagler partnership was formed with Flagler in control of
Harkness' interest.

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