John Edgar Dusenbury
June 10, 1836 - February 8, 1913
June 10, 1836 - February 8, 1913
This biography was published in Lyman, Horton, & Co.'s (Limited) Historical Gazetteer and
Biographical Memorial of Cattaraugus County, N. Y., edited by William Adams, pub. 1893)
John E. Dusenbury was born in Portville, then a part of Olean, June 10, 1836. He received a
practical business education from his father and an academic education at Binghamton Academy. He
was early taught that honest labor is man’s mission in life. He commenced his active business life as
merchant, the successor of Dusenbury, Wheeler & Co. He inherited many of the characteristics of
his father, which brought financial success to his business undertakings, and at his death was
especially fitted to take his place in the operations of this firm. Mr. Dusenbury appointed his sons,
John E. and William A., executors and trustees of his estate, and the business has continued
uninterruptedly to the present with but a change in name of firm. This now includes John E. and
Edgar G. Dusenbury (sons of Henry Dusenbury) and Nelson P. and William E. Wheeler (sons of
Hon. William F. Wheeler). Their business consists of lumbering operations near Portville and in
Pennsylvania, development of their oil territory, and in tanning. John E. Dusenbury is an able
financier. He was vice-president of the First National Bank of Olean until June, 1892, when he
succeeded Hon. William F. Wheeler as president. He is a real estate manager, an oil producer, and a
general advisor in manifold business affairs. As a recreation, he is breeding trotting horses of the
finest strains to be obtained in the United States. Mr. Dusenbury has been an unswerving Republican
all his political life, has served his town on the Board of Supervisors ten years, and taken prominent
part in numerous conventions. He is an industrious, persevering, and successful manufacturer, a
courteous gentleman, a genial companion and friend, deserves and enjoys a large circle of
appreciative acquaintance, and ranks worthily among the representative men of Cattaraugus county.
Biographical Memorial of Cattaraugus County, N. Y., edited by William Adams, pub. 1893)
John E. Dusenbury was born in Portville, then a part of Olean, June 10, 1836. He received a
practical business education from his father and an academic education at Binghamton Academy. He
was early taught that honest labor is man’s mission in life. He commenced his active business life as
merchant, the successor of Dusenbury, Wheeler & Co. He inherited many of the characteristics of
his father, which brought financial success to his business undertakings, and at his death was
especially fitted to take his place in the operations of this firm. Mr. Dusenbury appointed his sons,
John E. and William A., executors and trustees of his estate, and the business has continued
uninterruptedly to the present with but a change in name of firm. This now includes John E. and
Edgar G. Dusenbury (sons of Henry Dusenbury) and Nelson P. and William E. Wheeler (sons of
Hon. William F. Wheeler). Their business consists of lumbering operations near Portville and in
Pennsylvania, development of their oil territory, and in tanning. John E. Dusenbury is an able
financier. He was vice-president of the First National Bank of Olean until June, 1892, when he
succeeded Hon. William F. Wheeler as president. He is a real estate manager, an oil producer, and a
general advisor in manifold business affairs. As a recreation, he is breeding trotting horses of the
finest strains to be obtained in the United States. Mr. Dusenbury has been an unswerving Republican
all his political life, has served his town on the Board of Supervisors ten years, and taken prominent
part in numerous conventions. He is an industrious, persevering, and successful manufacturer, a
courteous gentleman, a genial companion and friend, deserves and enjoys a large circle of
appreciative acquaintance, and ranks worthily among the representative men of Cattaraugus county.
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
The Death of John E. Dusenbury
A Lifelong Resident and Friend of this Village Passed to the Great Beyond
Saturday afternoon, February 8th, at 1:30 o’clock occurred the death of John E. Dusenbury at his
home in this village. As he had been in very poor health for the past two years, his death was not
entirely unexpected. He was 76 years of age last June and had spent his entire life in this village.
Mr. Dusenbury was born in Portville, June 10, 1836, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry R.
Dusenbury. He received his education in the local public schools and at the Binghamton Academy.
After he had finished his schooling, he entered his father’s store, which stood on the site of Holcomb
and Fairchild’s store and at his father’s death, he succeeded him in that business.
Mr. Dusenbury was senior partner in the firm of Wheeler and Dusenbury and was interested in
lumber operations in Pennsylvania and timber holdings on the Pacific Coast. He was a director in the
Acme Milling Company, Producers Gas Company, The New Conklin Wagon Company, and since
1892, when he succeeded William F. Wheeler, he has been president of the First National Bank of
Olean. Mr. Dusenbury was an able financier and as president of the bank has contributed much to
the prosperity and high standing which that institution enjoys in this community. He was greatly
respected by the citizens of this village, Olean, and other nearby places. The floral tributes were very
beautiful and numerous. During the service, all places of business in this village and the Olean banks
were closed, and the merchants, bankers, and clerks attended. Six of the clerks from the First
National Bank acted as bearers, they were, C. B. Nelson, F. P. Herberly, George Eaton, T. C. Boyd,
Arthur Yahn, and Howard Rogers. The burial was in the family plot in Chestnut Hill Cemetery.
J. E. Dusenbury Has Passed Away
President of First National Bank Died at Portville This Afternoon – Had Been
Ill For Months
Had Been the Head of the Dusenbury Interests Since Death of His Father –
Was One of Olean’s Leading Business Men.
John E. Dusenbury, president of First National Bank of Olean, died this afternoon at 1:30 o’clock at
his home in Portville. Mr. Dusenbury had been a sufferer from a species of rheumatism for more
than a year and this trouble, aggravated by a weak heart finally brought his life to an end today, at the
age of 76 years, 7 months and 28 days.
Edgar Dusenbury, a brother of the deceased, left in his automobile for Portville immediately upon
receipt of the news of Mr. Dusenbury’s death. The deceased is survived by his wife, Delle M.
Dusenbury; two daughters, Mrs. Herman L. Matz of Chicago, and Kathryn Dusenbury of Portville;
and one son, Donald, who resides in Olean. Arrangements for the funeral will be announced later.
John E., eldest son of Henry R. Dusenbury, was born in Portville, then a part of Olean, June 30,
1836. He was educated at Binghamton Academy and early in his life entered business under his
father’s direction in the store at Portville, and has always been closely associated with the firm of
Dusenbury and Wheeler in their large lumbering and mercantile enterprises.
Since the death of his father, he was, as the eldest son, the practical head of the Dusenbury
interests. The sons of Henry R. Dusenbury and William F. Wheeler now comprise the corporation,
Dusenbury & Wheeler, and have continued the extensive operations of the old firm, but having to
extend their sphere of lumbering operations to more remote points.
Dusenbury & Wheeler were much more hampered in their early operations by the fact that the
nearest bank was at Bath, about 70 miles away, but in 1870, the State Bank of Olean was organized.
It continued until 1871, when it was reorganized under the national banking law and became known
as the First National Bank of Olean, William F. Wheeler being president until 1892. John E.
Dusenbury was vice-president and succeeded Mr. Wheeler as president, a position he retained up to
the time of his death.
He was an able financier and as president of the First National Bank of this city, has greatly
contributed to the prosperity and high standing of that institution.
He wisely guarded his own large interests in merchandising, lumbering, tanning, oil production and
real estate, and as a banker, won an enviable reputation. He was always an active republican and for
ten years, at various times, served as supervisor of Portville.
He was trustee of the Presbyterian church and a friend of all good causes. His recreation was his
farm and the ownership of good trotting horses, of which he was a successful breeder. He was a
courteous and genial gentleman, a good friend and companion, and held the esteem of a large circle
of acquaintances.
He married (first) February 1860, Harriet Foster of Monroe County, N. Y. He married (second)
Delle V. Mather; children, Miss Kathryn Dusenbury, Portville, and Donald Dusenbury, Olean.
(From 2 newspaper obituary columns, source unknown)