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Note: They had no children, but adopted the two of his deceased Sister Rebecca A. Powleson, Don and Lucile. They were know for their work with the poor in Kansas.
Source:Mulvane Genealogy.
"Whereas, Almighty God in his infinite wisdom has chosen to take from this life Mr. John R. Mulvane, an honored citizen of Topeka, and
Whereas, fro more than fifty years Mr. Mulvane was Topeka's foremost citizen, always to the front in everthing pertaining to the public welfare, and
Whereas, from March 17th 1906 to May 9th 1918 he was the able and efficient President of Topeka's Free Public Library, it therefore now seems fitting and proper that we place upon record our recongition of his services to the Library and to the citizens of Topeka, therefore be it
Resolved, that we offer our sincere sympathy to his relatives and that these resolutions be spread upon our records and a copy of them be sent to Mr. Mulvane's family.
(Signed) C. B. Merriam A. Fassler Committee J. P. Davis" Dewey Portland Cement Company
Kansas City, MO, January 15, 1919 Whereas, John Ross Mulvane has been lost to our counsels thru death, and
Whereas, we have during long years of personal relationship and business association been increasingly cognizant of the beauty of his character, the keenness of his intelolect and the soundness of his judgement, and
Whereas his passing away constitutes an irreparable loss to us as well as to his family, therefore
Be it resloved, that we, the directors of the Dewey Portland Cement Company this day in annual meeting assembled, declare our deep sorrow and extend to his family our heartfelt sympaythy in their bereavement, and
Be it further resolved that the secretary of the Dewey Portland Cement Companyh be insturcted to spread these resolutions upon the minutes of the company and forward a copy to the family of the deceased.
S. F. Huges M. O. Williamson Paul Huycke J. H. Keith F. L. Williamson F. E. Tyler Donald M. Tyler A. H. Hill H. F. Tyler May 10, 1918 John R. Mulvane Pioneer Banker of Topeka Dies
Leading Figure in Business Affairs of Topeak and
Middle West for Almost a Half Century
HIS NAME MEANT SOUND BUSINESS Organizations to Which He Gave Influence Grew Rapidly -
Financier Reached Age of 83 Years
John R. Mulvane, president of the Bank of Topeka, pioneer financier of Topeka, and for more than 40 years one of the leading figures in the business affairs of the middle west, died at his home, 315 East Sixth Avenue, at 8:25 o'clock yesterday morning. He was 83 years of age.
For more than three years Mr. Mulvane had been on the decline, physically, although mentally he was as keen as during all the years he had spent in building up one of the most enviable reputations as a capitalist and organizer of big business interests. Last October he was confined to his home for about two months, and since that time had been in very poor health. Two weeks ago he suffered a relapse, which resulted in his death yesterday.
Mr Mulvane has been connected with almost every big industry in Topeka since his coming to Kansas in 1868. He helped to organize and put on a sound financial basis such plants as the Wolff Packing Company, Continental Creamery Co., Missouri and Kansas Telephone Co., Topeka Railway company, and many smaller undertakings. The name John R. Mulvane as one of the directors, or officers, of any organization, assured the investing public that it was sound financially and that it was sure to succeed. He had been president of the Bank of Topeka since its reorganization in 1878.
Many of the prosperous business men of Topeka owe their success to Mr. Mulvane, who financed their business when it was in its infancy. A keen judge of human nature, Mr. Mulvane's business instinct was unfailing. He was always willing to back a man to the limit, often taking a man's word for the payment of money loaned on business ventures.
John R. Mulvane was born at Newcomerstown, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, July 6th, 1835. At an early age he went into his father's tannery and learned the trade, and while still a boy gained such a knowledge of general merchandising that at the age of 20 he was able to take practical charge of his father's country store. He married Miss Hattie M. Freeman, at Newcomerstown, July 16, 1857, and continued to manage the country store until 1865. In that year he left his native town and engaged in merchandising at Princetown, IL, with his brother, Joab Mulvane.
Mr. Mulvane's health failed after two years in Princetown, and his physician advised that he go west, after several months spent in a sanitarium. He followed the advice and landed in Topeka in August, 1868. He had some money and immediately entered the cattle and land business. In January, 1870, he became cashier in the Topeka Bank and Savings Institution, and thus started on the career which was to make him one of the most influential and best known financiers in the middle west.
At the reorganization of his bank in 1878, it became the Bank of Topeka, with Mr. Mulvane as its president, a position he held until his death. His business activities were not confined to banking alone, however, as he branched out into various industries, which seemed to grow like magic under his tutelage. With Joab Mulvane, he was one of the powers that completed and made a success of the Topeka Water Co., and was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Topeka Street Railway Co. In 1879, with his brother, Joab and W. B. Strong, Mr. Mulvane purchased a little telephone exchange that was trying to do business in Topeka. Out of this emerged the great Missouri and Kansas Telephone Co., which grew to almost gigantic proportions before being merged with the Bell System. He was president of the company form 1884 to 1903.
During his career in Topeka, Mr. Mulvane had been connected with the Edison Electric Illuminating company; helped to organize the Continental Creamery Company; the Charles Wolff Packing Company; the salt industry at Hutchinson; the Arkansas Valley Twon and Land company; Shawnee Fire Insurance company; was one of the organizers of Christ's hospital and a trustee since its infancy; a member of the board of Turstees of Washburn College; director and treasurer of the Topeka Free Library; and a member of several fraternal organizations. He was a director and vice-president of the Globe surety company and a director of the Commerce Trust Company, both of Kansas City, MO.
Mrs. Mulvane died June 4th, 1901. She was 79 years old. No children were born to the union, but Mr. and Mrs. Mulvane adopted and reared two children of Mrs. Mulvane's younger sister. They are Don Mulvane, and Mrs. Lucile Grubbs, both of which live in Topeka.
Mr. Mulvane was a member of the First Baptist church for more than 40 years, and had always taken an active part in its affairs. He was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, Knight Templar and an Odd Fellow.
Source: Mulvane Genealogy PENSION FUND FOR AGED EMPLOYEES
BANK OF TOPEKA
John R. Mulvane Sets Aside $8,000, Interest On
Which Is to Be Used
Pensions for men who have been employed by the Bank o0f Topeka, and who become old and feeble, will be possible under a plan announced yesterday by John R. Mulvane, president and connected with the bank since 1870. Mr. Mulvane has invested $8,000 in farm loans, the income of which will provide a fund from which pennsions may be paid.
The fund to be created by Mr. Mulvane's investment will be available when needed for employees, who have spent five years or more in the employ of the bank, and when their condition warrants it. Payments are to be made on a vote of the board of directors of the bank, the entire plan being entirely new in the banking business in Topeka.
Source: Mulvane Genealogy John R. Mulvane
No citizen of Topeka and no banker in Kansas and few indeed in the central West was more widely known than John R. Mulvane, whose death after a lingering illness occured yesterday morning. He was in his 83rd year, and tho in the last year or two had suffered several serious breakdowns, he continued while physical stength permitted, to discharge the duties of his position as president of the bank which he had helped to organize just 40 years ago and of which he was president and presiding genious every minute of the time from that date to the present.
Mr. Mulvane as a banker naturally had much to do with the development of its most important interests he was the foster father, saw their future possibilities, backed his faith in them and in the men who had the courage to start them, often when others scoffed and predicted nothing but failure. He had the reputation of standing by his friends and of sticking to any many whom he had once supported in any business undertaking, with a loyalty that was proof against discouragements. No banker in the state exceeded him in this quality, and to him Topeka consequently owes several now large and prosperous industries.
One of the oldest bankers in Kansas, John R. Mulvane had been a resident of Topeka for 50 years, having come here from Illinois in 1868 and organized the bank to which he was so devoted 40 years later.
Unidentified newspaper clipping. . . . There was a day however, when Topeka's quality hill was located along Madison and Quincy, and men invested their money in homes with direct reference to a location somewhere withing sight of the Mulvane "mansion". There Topeka expected its distinguished guests to be entertained. There dinners were given to the visiting statesmen, to members of congress, to cnadidates for president, and to prospective Wall Sreet investors in Topeka enterprises. And there the Kansas pilgrims to the state capital took time to walk out to Sixth and Madison just to get a look at the outside of the old Mulvane house, so they could tell the folks at home about it.
The Mulvane's themselves were regarded for nearly a half-century as one of the Kansas institutions. The Bank of Topeka never was mentioned except as the "Mulvane Bank." From the late 60's or perhaps, the early 70's, until the late George Veale built his big house on Quincy Street, the Mulvane home had no rivals for public admiration. John R. Mulvane, head of the Mulvane establishment, bought the house when it was nothing more than a cottage - but even at that, in the Topeka of that early day a painted cottage was regarded by the society reporters of the local newspapers as "magnificent" home. Not even when Topeka moved "west of the avenue" did John R. Mulvane desert the old home. The swell residence district for Topeka's exclusives, known as Potwin, did not tempt him. He lived in the old house at Sixth and Madison until his death two years ago.
Now the Mulvane home will be transformed in to a modern apartment house. Why in the day of the grandeur of the old Mulvane home Topeka never knew the meaning of an apartment house. It's a new Topeka that witnesses without a sentiment of remorse the transformation of its old landmark.
Unidentified newspaper clipping. OBJE
TYPE PHOTO
FILE C: John Ross Mulvane
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