Feb 25, 2017 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

In November 2016 we featured 'Person of Note' John Joseph Caulfield, who was a successful Greenwood merchant and partner in the Russell-Law-Caulfield Company. Today we are focusing on his senior partner — William M. Law, whose biography was also included in A History of British Columbia by R. Edward Gosnell:_[1]

WILLIAM M. LAW.

"William M. Law, who was born in Provincetown, Massachusetts, September 26, 1863, is a son of William H. and Hetty (West) Law. The father is deceased, while the mother resides in Provincetown. The son was a student in the public schools and afterward had the advantage of pursuing a business course in Poughkeepsie, New York, being thus well qualified to enter the fields of commercial activity. He later became bookkeeper for a wholesale fruit and produce house in Boston, Massachusetts, where he remained for two and a half years, and for one year he was connected with the oyster trade in that city.

In 1887 he came to Portland, Oregon, and was with Tatum & Bowen for eight years, winning advancement with that house in recognition of his capable service until he was promoted to the position of manager, acting in that capacity for three years. In the spring of 1896 he went to Anaconda, where he embarked in general merchandising as a member of the firm of Miller & Law, but after twenty-one months he removed to Greenwood and the firm of William Law & Company was thus organized.

In 1901 a change occurred in the ownership and the present firm of Russell-Law-Caulfield Company, Limited was formed. They have developed an extensive business which has become one of the leading commercial concerns of Greenwood, and the house sustains a very enviable reputation in trade circles.

Mr. Law does not confine his efforts entirely to merchandising, but with recognition of opportunities in other directions in the northwest he has become a stockholder in the Providence Mining Company, and is now its secretary and treasurer. In his social relations he is an Odd Fellow, belonging to Boundary Valley lodge, N o. 38, I. O. O. F."

In September 1895, Greenwood founder Robert Wood purchased Otto Dillier's Ranch along the Boundary Creek, at the confluence of Lind and Copper creeks. There he laid out the Anaconda town-site. In May 1896, William M. Law arrived at Anaconda and the following month, the Anaconda Mercantile Co. opened under the ownership of Law and F. J. Miller.

A February 19, 1898 news item in the Boundary Creek Times_[2] announced: "Miller & Law, of the Anaconda Mercantile Company, take a prominent position amongst our advertisers this week. Their notice will repay perusal."

As Greenwood grew to become the economic heart of the Boundary, from late 1897 into '98, numerous businesses in Anaconda started relocating to Greenwood. In February 1898, the Anaconda Mercantile Co. joined them. The partnership between Law and Miller was dissolved. F.J. Miller reportedly retired, while W.M. Law moved their inventory of stock to Greenwood, opening up shop in the Barrett Block. There, he continued in the general mercantile trade as William Law & Company.

But William Law was not content to focus only on his Greenwood mercantile. 1898 was the first of many years that he engaged in the business of mining speculation, publishing a 'notice of improvements' in August_[3], for the Ladoga claim in Deadwood Camp, in which he partnered with F. J. Miller, J. W. Blough, H. Wright and John P. Anderson.

In October 1898 Law opened up another mercantile shop in Niagara — now a ghost town, but once a mining camp north of Grand Forks, and due east of Phoenix. As announced by the Times_[4]: "W. M. Law & Co. have decided to start a new branch store at Niagara. They will open up in the new town with a stock of general merchandise next week."

The next week's edition reported_[5]: "E. T. Wickwire left on Thursday for Niagara, to take charge of W. M. Law & Co.'s store at that point." At Niagara, they sold "a full line of groceries and dry goods, together with a fancy stock of boots and shoes".

The Niagara mercantile quickly made itself part of the community_[6]: "Rev. Mr. Wallace, of Grand Forks, held divine service here last Sunday in W. M. Law & Co.'s store, and has arranged to hold fortnightly services."

The Niagara operation was short-lived, however. By February 1899 Law & Co. was pulling up stakes_[7]: "W. M. Law & Co. have disposed of their branch at Niagara, Mr. E. C. Wickwire, the manager, returned to Greenwood on Saturday."

Before closing his Niagara operation, however, Law launched one more new store. In December 1898, W.M. Law & Co. opened a branch of their mercantile at Camp McKinney, in a building rented from Hugh Cameron.

The relocation of William M. Law's mercantile operations from Anaconda and Niagara to Greenwood is well documented in local newspapers. One of the first mentions is found in the Boundary Creek Times from February 15, 1899_[8]:

BARRETT BLOCK IS SOLD.
J. R. Miller, a Well Known Traveling Man, The Purchaser.

"The Barrett block, the best building in the city has been sold to J. R. Miller for $8,250 cash. Mr. Miller is a well known Montreal drummer. He has made a large amount of money by his investments in Rossland and Nelson real estate and is one of the shrewdest real estate speculators on the road. He made his first trip into Greenwood this week and was so favorably impressed that he at once decided to invest. The purchase price of the block is a reasonable one when it is considered that every room in the big building is occupied by good tenants. The Barrett block is a three storey frame building on Copper street. The ground floor is occupied by the Russell Hardware Co., and W. M. Law & Co., while the second floor is occupied by the Greenwood Club and several professional men. The third storey is the Barrett Hall. The building was erected in 1897."

Boundary Creek Times — April 16, 1898

While Law & Co. announced their new business location in April, this Times report from a May 1898 edition explained that the Barrett building was still a work in progress_[9]:

"The Barrett block is nearing completion. The ground floor has been used by the Russell Hardware Co. and W. M. Law & Co. for some time. The second floor is handsomely finished. On both sides of a very wide hall are large well-lighted rooms, well adapted for offices. The front rooms are particularly well arranged. On the third floor is a hall 60x30 feet, capable of seating at least 600 people. It will probably be opened by a ball on the 24th of May, to be given by the baseball team to defray a portion of the expense of clearing the recreation grounds."

In their 1998 year-end review edition_[10], the Times offered briefs on many local businesses, including W. M. Law & Co.:

"A firm which has rapidly enlarged its business is that of W. M. Law & Co. Mr. Law began business in Anaconda. He was a member of the firm of Miller & Law. Last March the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Law moved to Greenwood, opening out in the Barrett block with a well assorted stock of general merchandise. The business of the firm increased rapidly. In October a branch store was opened at Niagara, Mr. E. T. Wickwire being the manager. Recently a branch store was opened at Camp McKinney with Mr. J. B. Moody for manager. Mr. Law is an experienced business man and has a keen eye for new opportunities for increasing his trade."

Law & Co.'s manager Wickwire himself made the press that December_[11]:

"Mr. Wickwire, the enterprising manager for W. M. Law & Co., is occupying his spare moments in studying the Italian language. He made his first attempt to hold a little conversation with a swarthy-looking customer yesterday morning, but as the man turned out to be a Russian, no headway was made in the conversation.

Throughout the year, many advertisements in the Times give us a taste of the sorts of merchandise being offered by Law & Co._[12]:

"W. M. Law & Co., general merchants, respectfully solicit your patronage."

"Buy your Teas and Coffees at Law & Co.'s"

"The only line of boots and shoes in town at Law & Co.'s."

"For your boots and shoes, clothing, furnishings, hats and caps, groceries and provisions, go to Law & Co.'s."

"Seasonable goods: Lime Juice, McClaren's Cheese, Jams and Jellies, Marmalade, and lots of nice things at Law & Co.'s."

"Messrs. W. M. Law & Co. had a large consignment of rubbers and woollen goods arrive today, and they now carry one of the largest assorted stocks in the district."

"Best value for your money in all lines at Law & Co.'s."

"Law & Co.'s goods simply cannot be beaten. Try them."

We cater to the mining trade, camp trade, hotel trade, family trade, and we want YOUR trade."

Retail sales operations always have to combat pilferage, and in the case of Law & Co., they were faced with at least one incident of more creative theft. From the Times, October 1898_[13]:

"A man named Wilson was arrested Saturday for having obtained goods under false pretences. It appears that Wilson secured from W.M. Law & Co. a suit of clothes and other articles on the strength of an order from Foreman Johns, of the Mother Lode mine. The order has been repudiated as bogus."

The matter eventually went to court.

By the last quarter of 1900, W. M. Law & Co. was a going concern, as evidenced by this business profile published in the Times_[14]:

W. M. LAW & CO. - Clothing, Gents' Furnishings, Boots, Shoes and Groceries.

"In these necessarily brief sketches of the individual industries we cannot be expected to enter into minute details but to present the chief features of the various houses which in friendly rivalry are competing for public patronage. Among these the casual observer must accord to W. M. Law & Co., a prominent position. Their neat and well arranged store is fitted up in an attractive manner, and here is to be found a complete stock of clothing, gents' furnishings, boots, shoes and groceries. In the clothing department will be found the-full line in every color, shade and style that the market requires for men, youths' and boys.

In the hat, cap and furnishings department are to be had all the latest shapes and nobby styles in hats and caps and in furnishing goods every article worn by gentlemen, shirts, underwear, hosiery, collars, cuffs, ties, suspenders, mackinaws, mackintoshes, gloves, umbrellas, etc.

In the grocery department will be found flour, sugar, coffee, the best of imported teas, canned and dried fruit and vegetables, pickles, butter, eggs, cheese and all table delicacies. This firm buy direct and are in a position to quote prices as low as the lowest. The principles upon which this business is conducted is that of honest dealing, giving full value for your money and finding its emoluments in increased sales rather than increased profits. Patrons will find W. M. Law & Co., the popular proprietors courteous and obliging and ever willing to give them their closest personal attention, furnishing you at the same time with a superior line of goods at bottom prices."

1901 was a significant year, as W. M. Law & Co. became part of a new limited corporation under the banner of Russell-Law-Caulfield Co., Ltd. The consolidation was first announced in a November 14, 1900 edition of the Greenwood Weekly Times_[15]:

AMALGAMATION. Three Firms to Unite in a Joint Stock Company.

"The Russell Hardware company, Caulfield & Lamont and W. M. Law & Co. have issued a prospectus with a view to amalgamation of the three firms. The prospectus is for a joint stock company to be known as the Russell-Law-Caulfield Company, Ltd. It will have a capital of $100,000 divided into 100,000 shares of a dollar each. The firms are amongst the oldest and best established in the city. The prospectus states that the three firms in 1899 did a combined business of $225,000. The three firms will subscribe for $70,000 of the paid up stock and the remaining $30,000 is offered to the public at par.

It is confidently believed that a greatly increased and constantly increasing business may thus be transacted at greatly reduced cost and hence at better profits. The present management of the existing firms will be on the directorate of the new concern, and the successful management of their present business is the best guarantee of the effective conduct of the consolidation. Each of the old firms will collect its own debts and pay its own obligations and the new firm will begin business without debt of any kind."

The Russell, Law, Caulfield Co. Building (Barrett/Gulley Block; today the McArthur Center)

A few months later, The Greenwood Weekly Times published this announcement_[16], which also mentions the fact that the original Barrett Block, a [wood] frame building (see 'Barrett Block is Sold' above), was being re-built as a brick structure.

A NEW COMPANY.
Russell-Law-Caulfield & Company, Ltd., Begins Business Next Week.

"The Times is pleased to announce the final amalgamation of the interests of three of the largest mercantile firms in the city which took place yesterday. Some weeks back it was given out that a firm to be known as the Russell-Law-Caulfield company, limited, would seek incorporation for the purposes of carrying on a general mercantile business. This has been successfully accomplished, and the new corporation will open up for business about the middle of the month.

The capital of the undertaking is $100,000, in 100,000 shares of the par value of $1, and it is a matter of congratulation to all concerned to know that resident capitalists have gone into the venture, and no assistance has been required, from the outside. It is an evidence of Greenwood's prosperity, that when a local business proposition of merit is placed before investors they are to be found ready to back it.

Stock-taking is now in progress and when finished the store of Caulfield & Lamont will be closed and the hardware stock moved to the Russell Hardware company, and this end of the business carried on in that store. Mr. Law for the present will attend to the grocery and clothing department in his store premises. The company has acquired the three lots south from the Commercial hotel to the Russell Hardware company's building. This building will be removed early in the spring and a substantial brick block, with a frontage on Copper street of 75 feet and a depth of 100 feet, two-storys in height, built. Ample room will then be had for the business, which will carry exceptionally heavy stocks in clothing, hardware and grocery departments, both for the wholesale and retail trade. Excavation work for the cellar, retaining, wall and foundation is to be started at once.

The personnel of the Russell-Law-Caulfield company, of which Mr. Law will be at the head, includes James Russell, Thomas Hardy, Duncan McIntosh and J. J. Caulfield. These gentlemen are the heaviest individual shareholders, but other parties have acquired stock. The three firms combined represent a strong aggregation and propose carrying a stock of some $100,000 value in all departments.

Mayor Thomas Hardy and James Russell for the past three years, have been carrying on a hardware business under the name of the Russell Hardware company. Mayor Hardy is one of the prominent pioneers of the Boundary and Mr. Russell has been a resident of the city since 1897. The firm have held a large share of the trade, making this a leading feature.

William Law first came to the district in 1896, and for a time was in business in Anaconda, but removed to this city two years later and since then has become one of the most popular and successful merchants in his line — groceries.

J. J. Caulfield for the past two years has been in the hardware business, associated with Mr. Lamont, and their trade was profitable in supplying largely local contractors and the home consumption.

Duncan McIntosh is associated with the undertaking from a monetary point only, believing that a business, especially in the wholesale line, can be built up to supply all points between Cascade City and the Similkameen, and together with the retail trade will be profitable in the shape of dividends."

Further announcements followed, in the Greenwood Miner:

The Greenwood Miner, January 12, 1901

The store move, advertised in the Boundary Creek Times on January 31, 1902, refers to the company taking Christmas orders — presumably for the holiday to come.

Boundary Creek Times — January 31, 1902

In April of that year another ad_[17] indicates the busyness of the big move and reorganization: "The Russell Law-Caulfield Co., Ltd. Have been too busy to tell you about their New Stock. They will next week. Meantime call in and look the place over."

In addition to the many interesting historical footprints about the business dealings of William M. Law, we also find numerous mentions of his civic and social involvement in the Greenwood community._[18]

A September 1898 edition of the Times mentions that he was active with the Greenwood Fire Department, describing one evening's fire drill practice:

"Thursday evening the department were summoned by Chief Pierce. All responded speedily save W. M. Law whose intentions were very good but lost himself among the wagons and plows on Greenwood street."

In 1899 he was a member of the Greenwood Board of Trade, and in 1901 served as the BOT's alternate delegate to the Associated Boards of Trade. In 1901 he served as District Deputy for the local Oddfellows Lodge, and was a member of the Greenwood Athletic Association, serving as their Co-president in 1903. A July 8, 1899 edition of the Times featured coverage of a major two-day celebration (perhaps a precursor to Founders Day), for which W. M. Law & Co. donated two Stetson hats, to be given as prizes in the Drilling contest.

William Law was also involved in numerous mining speculations._[19] Along with the 1898 Ladoga claim mentioned above, in May 1902 he also filed notice on the Tiger claim in Beaver Camp, West Fork of Kettle River. In 1905, he and John Gray filed on the Globe claim in Deadwood camp. Another notice of claim was filed for William, along with Frank J. Miller and John Lucy on the Little Ruth claim at Deadwood camp. And another for the No. 7 claim at Deadwood, along with Pat Hickey, Frank J. Miller, H.L. Morgan and Duncan McIntosh. (McIntosh was a major shareholder in Russell-Law-Caulfield Co. and Miller was his partner in Anaconda.)

The Times ran a January 1911 ad_[20] for "Hot house lettuce and radishes received fresh each week at Russell-Law-Caulfield Co." But in fact, it appears that William had already departed from Greenwood by this time.

Genealogy records_[21] for William (Willie) M. Law help to round out the picture of his life, providing some interesting dates. The span of his time living in Greenwood is noted as May 1896 to July 1906. From June 1908 to October 1915 he lived in Prince Rupert. In 1909 he traveled from Prince Rupert to Seattle, sailing aboard the S.S. Humboldt. The ship's register shows him as 'Merchant, Single'. He was apparently headed to Portland, Oregon on this trip.

William M. Law died in 1934 at the age of 71. He was buried at the place of his birth, in Gifford Cemetery, Provincetown, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Ethel, who died on May 28, 1916 in Alice Arm, B.C. at the age of 41. Alice Arm is located north of Prince Rupert, at the top of Observatory Inlet. William had just arrived in Alice Arm, presumably with his wife, in 1916. He had a mercantile business there, and got his stock from Ketchikan, Alaska.

William M.'s father, William H. Law, was born in Portland, Maine in 1828. He was noted as being a Seaman in 1870, and died in 1886. William M.'s mother, Methittoble "Hattie" Wett [West], was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia in 1831, and died in 1919. As of 1916, Hattie, along with William's numerous brothers and sisters, all resided in Provincetown. According to census records, William M. had five sisters and three brothers. One brother, who died in infancy four years before William M. was born, had been given the name William B.

Although he spent many years in Canada, William M. Law remained a U.S. Citizen. In the year following his wife's death he returned to the states, living in Seattle and apparently continuing business as a merchant.

During his time in Prince Rupert, William was partnered with Harry O. Butler in the firm, Law Butler Co. There is a wonderful photograph of 3rd Avenue in Prince Rupert taken in 1911, which shows the Law-Butler building (2nd building on the left), situated at 619 3rd Avenue.

William's business partner, H. O. Butler was originally from San Francisco. He traveled and lived throughout the Pacific Northwest, working as a chemist, druggist, cigar salesman and import/export broker.

As the biography above describes him, "Mr. Law does not confine his efforts entirely to merchandising, but with recognition of opportunities in other directions in the northwest…" His appetite for business carried on in Prince Rupert, as we see in the following advertisement, placed in the October 1909 issue of Popular Mechanics_[22]. A second ad in that magazine announced "William M. Law and Hubert O. Butler, Real Estate and Insurance Agents — Thurmond Brown, Manager."

Popular Mechanics — October 1909

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A History of British Columbia by R. Edward Gosnell (1906)

[2] Boundary Creek Times — February 19, 1898, p. 11
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170330#p0z-10000r0f:%22Miller%20&%20Law%22

[3] Boundary Creek Times — August 27, 1898, p. 9
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170286#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[4] Boundary Creek Times — October 15, 1898, p. 12
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170623#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[5] Boundary Creek Times — October 22, 1898, p. 12 & 14
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170660#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[6] Boundary Creek Times — November 12, 1898, p. 13
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170576#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[7] Boundary Creek Times — February 22, 1899, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170269#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[8] Boundary Creek Times — February 15, 1899, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170263#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[9] Boundary Creek Times — May 14, 1898, p.10
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170532#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[10] Boundary Creek Times — December 24, 1898, p. 27
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170335#p0z-5r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[11] Boundary Creek Times — December 10, 1898, p. 10
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170294#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[12] Boundary Creek Times — August 13th, October 1st & 8th, November 26th, 898

[13] Boundary Creek Times — October 8, 1898, p. 12
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170682#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20%26%20Co%22

[14] Boundary Creek Times — October 31, 1900, p. 7
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172860#p0z-10000r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[15] The Greenwood Weekly Times — November 14, 1900, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172820#p0z-8r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[16] The Greenwood Weekly Times — January 10, 1901, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172821#p3z-8r0f:%22William%20Law%22

[17] Boundary Creek Times — April 18, 1902, p. 2
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0171072#p1z-4r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[18] William M. Law's Civic and Social Activities:
Boundary Creek Times — Sep 24th, 1898; Jul 8th, 1899; May 15th, 1903;
The Greenwood Weekly Times — Jan 10th, 1901; Feb 21st, 1901;

[19] William M. Law's Mining Enterprises:
Boundary Creek Times — May 2nd, 1902; Mar 3rd, 1905;

[20] Boundary Creek Times — January 13, 1911, p. 4
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0172243#p0z-8r0f:%22Law%20&%20Co%22

[21] Genealogy Records for William M. Law
http://www.gent-family.com/BC/princerupertarchivephoto2.html#law

[22] Popular Mechanics — October 1909, p. 27