Edward Magruder Tutwiler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Magruder Tutwiler
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| Born | October 13, 1846 |
| Died | April 19, 1925 (aged 78) at Sea
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| Occupation | Civil engineer Industrialist |
| Known for | Leading industrialist of Birmingham Fought in the Battle of New Market |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Jeffrey |
| Children | Temple W. Tutwiler Edward M. Tutwiler, Jr. Herbert Tutwiler |
Edward Magruder Tutwiler (born October 13, 1846 – died April 19, 1925) was an American businessman and engineer. He became a very important leader in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. He helped build many things and create new businesses.
Edward Tutwiler's Early Life
Tutwiler was born on October 13, 1846, in Palmyra, Virginia. His parents were Thomas H. Tutwiler and Harriet (Strange) Tutwiler. His father was a lawyer and also served in the government for Fluvanna County.
In 1864, when Edward was 17, he paused his schooling. He joined the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He fought in a big battle called the Battle of New Market. Many students from his school, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), died there.
He stayed fighting until the city of Richmond was no longer safe. When the war ended, he went back to school. He finished his engineering studies in 1867.
Edward Tutwiler's Career
For the next two years, Tutwiler worked as a teacher. Then, he started his career as an engineer. He began as a surveyor's helper for the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad. He worked very hard and quickly moved up in his job.
Over the next ten to twelve years, he worked on many different railroads. These included the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Cincinnati Southern, and the Georgia Pacific Railway. Tutwiler was known for mapping out the eastern part of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. This was from Richmond to Newport News in the early 1870s. In 1879, he also worked for a year as an assistant engineer for the city of Cincinnati.
Tutwiler's work with the Georgia Pacific railroad brought him to Alabama in 1881. Two years later, he became the boss of the Sloss Company's coal mines. These mines were in places like Coalburg and Brookside.
In 1889, he started his own company called the Tutwiler Coal, Coke & Iron Company. This company became very important for Birmingham's industries. Tutwiler was one of the first to create a better relationship between bosses and their workers.
In 1906, Tutwiler decided to step back from his main business activities. He wanted to focus on his personal interests. However, he still helped out in Birmingham in other ways. He was on the board of directors for several companies. He also provided a lot of money to build the Tutwiler Hotel (which is now gone). He also helped build the Ridgely Apartments, which later became the current Tutwiler Hotel. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent and other community groups.
Edward Tutwiler's Family and Death
In 1876, Tutwiler married Mary F. Jeffrey. She passed away in 1885. They had three sons together: Temple W., Edward M., Jr., and Herbert. In 1887, Mr. Tutwiler married his second wife, Margaret Lee Chewning, from Virginia.
In May 1924, Tutwiler became sick with pneumonia. He hoped that traveling would help him get better. So, he traveled with his wife to visit his son in India. Sadly, Tutwiler died at sea on the ship Empress of France during the trip back home.
