William E. Dodge

William Earl Dodge ( born September 4, 1805 in Hartford, Connecticut; † 9 February 1883 in New York City ) was an American businessman and politician.

Dodge was born in Hartford, the second son of David Low Dodge, founder of the New York Peace Society. His wife was Melissa Phelps (1809-1903), daughter of Anson Green Phelps and Olivia Egleston. Because of his business success Dodge was also known as one of the "Merchant Princes " of Wall Street, who dominated the economy in the years before the Civil War. Dodge also sat down for the rights of slaves and Native Americans. From April 1866 to March 1867, he represented the State of New York as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also a founding member of the YMCA.

Business success

1834 Dodge founded and his father Anson Green Phelps, the mining company Phelps, Dodge and Company. At first she acted with American products in exchange for copper, iron, tin and other metals introduce of England to America. However, in 1881 they got themselves into a mining business, buying mines in Arizona. Today, the Phelps Dodge Corporation is one of the largest mining companies in the world.

A consortium of businessmen led by Dodge, bought large forest areas in Georgia during the Civil War. They built the Macon and Brunswick Railroad to connect the city of Macon with the hinterland. 1870 Dodge County was established and the foundation stone for the city Eastman was placed at the railway station 13. Dodge, as the namesake of the counties visited the area only once, when he inaugurated a two-story courthouse.

A statue of William E. Dodge is located on the north side of Bryant Park in New York City.

Use for the Indians

Dodge was very active in the reform movement for better treatment of the Indians. He supported projects by Peter Cooper and Ulysses S. Grant, to make peace with the Indians. 1869 Dodge traveled to the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) as a member of the Indian Commission of the Government to discuss and Kansas with representatives of the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa, the U.S. policy towards the Indians. He also promoted the prosecution of the commander of the cavalry, which in 1870 was responsible for the massacre in Montana, where 173 Blackfoot Indians lost their lives. Dodge also used his influence in Washington to allow the Indians an education.