Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Forgotten Iron King of the Great Lakes

Eber Brock Ward, 1811–1875

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The story of "the Andrew Carnegie before there was an Andrew Carnegie"—Michigan's wealthiest and most influential Gilded Aged industrialist.

Eber Brock Ward (1811–1875) began his career as a cabin boy on his uncle's sailing vessels, but when he died in 1875, he was the wealthiest man in Michigan. Ward was engaged in numerous booming Michigan industries, including steamboat, railroad, lumber, mining, iron, and steel. In 1864, his facility near Detroit became the first in the nation to produce steel using the more efficient Bessemer method. Author Michael W. Nagle demonstrates how much of Ward's success was due to his ability to vertically integrate his business operations, which was undertaken decades before other more famous moguls, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. And yet, despite his countless successes, Ward's captivating life was filled with ruthless competition, labor conflict, familial dispute, and scandal.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now Wisconsin's Digital Library is a project of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC), with funding from Wisconsin Public Libraries and Public Library Systems. Additional support is provided by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds awarded to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services