Mary Williamson
Averell HarrimanMary Williamson
Averell HarrimanBorn into a prominent New York family, intelligence, gentility, and respect were ingrained into Mary from an early age. Tutored at home, she completed her education at a finishing school in New York with the, “…usual expectation that one day she would become a fine wife and mother for some young man of equal or greater social standing than the Averells”. Mary’s father, William J. Averell was not only a successful banker, owning with his brother James, Ogdensburg, a major New York bank, but he was also a man heavily involved in his community, serving as a vestryman for his church, alderman for his municipal government, and mayor for his city. This social consciousness was passed down to Mary, whose life also centered on church, family, and community.
Mary was in her late twenties when she met and married E. H. Harriman. Although his relationship with railways had yet to surface, by the time the couple wed on August 10, 1879, the thirty-one year old Harriman had begun to make a name for himself as a businessman. The road to Harriman’s success was legendary. He quit school at the age of fourteen and entered the lower echelons of Wall Street, working as messenger and a pad shover. However, it was these lessons that helped E.H. become member 281 of the New York Stock Exchange at the tender age of twenty-two. Shortly thereafter, in 1870, E.H. opened his own brokerage firm. Although this firm was successful, E.H.’s future was in railroads, and this destiny was sealed with his marriage to Mary Williamson Averell.
In addition to being a successful banker, Mary’s father was also president of the Ogdensburg & Lake Champlain Railroad. This enabled William to provide the newlywed couple with a special train to whisk them away after the wedding, painting the name E.H. Harriman on the engine. Furthermore, William offered E.H. a seat on the railroad’s board, one that E.H. readily accepted. It was the start of a lifelong commitment, both to his wife and to rail.
E.H. and Mary’s marriage thrived and three children were born: Mary in 1881; Henry Neilson in 1883; and Cornelia in 1884. Business continued to flourish when E.H. entered the rail world as a knight in shining armour. His purchase and refurbishment of rail companies, most notably Union Pacific, earned him his fame and his fortune.
In 1886, that fortune allowed E.H. to purchase 7,863 acres of heavily forested land on the western shore of the Hudson at Highland Falls in New York. Also situated on this tract of wilderness was a home that served as a sanctuary for the burgeoning Harriman family. Within two years, Harriman had expanded his holdings in the area to 20,000 acres by buying 40 additional properties. The estate was named “Arden”. EH and Mary Harriman cherished the country lifestyle at Arden with their five children. A multitude of enterprises was based at the estate. Over the years, E.H. had taken up dairying, horse breeding, and mining, and squiring, and this industriousness meant new acreage added to Arden.
As one of his neighbors succinctly stated, “He collects mountains as other men collect china”. By 1908, it became apparent this ‘collection of mountains’ could be the salvation of the wilderness nature of the area. Lumbering and quarries encroached on the tranquility of the region; however, it was the acquisition of land to build a new prison at nearby Bear Mountain that proved to be the final straw. For E.H. Harriman and family, the solution was simple: a giant state park. He proposed donate thousands of aces for the park and $1 million in cash as an endowment for its management, if the governor agreed to locate the prison somewhere else. In August, 1909, E.H. Harriman passed away; however, his legacy did not fade with his passing. In many ways, his influence was as profound in death as it was in life. Like the railroads he managed, the fortune E.H. amassed reached all corners of America, from Boys’ Clubs to the American Red Cross, from Yale University to state parks. Yet this would not have been possible had it not been for the untiring efforts and dedication of Mary Williamson Averell Harriman. Mary was not only a loving and devoted wife, she was also a reliable and adept business confidante who was fully capable of managing the fortune her husband left her.
In December 1908, E. H. had approached New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes with his offer to convey land to extend Palisades Interstate Park. However, busy schedules, and E.H.’s failing health prevented the two men from cementing the deal. After four months of private grieving, Mary rejoined the world prepared to manage her considerable empire, whose value was estimated to be between $70 and $100 million dollars. This she did with the compassion and commitment she exhibited throughout her life. As one commentator noted Mary’s “…lifelong interest in philanthropy was about to become a profession”. One of her first undertakings was to fulfill E.H.’s vision of a giant state park. In 1910, Mary donated 10,000 acres of Arden’s private property to the State of New York leading to the creation of Harriman State Park as an extension of the Palisades Interstate Park, along with the $1 million endowment for its management. She made it conditional upon others contributing $1.5 million and the State of New York matching these funds with an added $2.5 million.
This was only one of Mary’s generous contributions to causes. Donations were bestowed upon the Boys’ Club that E.H. loved and supported. Monies were contributed to John Muir to help save the Yosemite Valley and Yale University received an $80,000 endowment for an E.H. Harriman Chair of Forestry. In her married years Mary was a strong, silent, and supportive wife. After her husband’s death, she was able to emerge from her grief to become a leader in American philanthropy, donating her personal and private resources to improve the world around her.
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