William Maxwell

William Maxwell (February 11, 1794 – November 22, 1856) was an American business executive and politician, president of Erie Railroad from 1842 to 1843.

Biography

Early years and education Guy Maxwell was the father and founder of the Maxwell family. He managed banks, dug canals, and was adopted as a chief into a tribe of the Seneca Indians.

William Maxwell, Guy Maxwell's third son, was born at Tioga Point, now Athens, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1794. His parents moved that year to Newtown Point, now Elmira. He was educated in local schools, and studied law in the office of Fletcher Mathews, a distinguished member of the bar at that time. He was a delegate from the county to the State Constitutional Convention of 1846. He was always prominent in the public affairs of the town and county, and was connected with the formation of the Chemung Canal Bank, one of the earliest enterprises of the kind in the Southern Tier. pays this tribute to William Maxwell:

I remember him ever since I can remember anything. He lived in one of the most beautiful spots in the valley, a big brick house, with a great lawn, and lots of trees, that must have belonged to the original forest there. He was very fond of children, and I have played for hours in and about his house. He was fitted by intellect and education to fill any position in the country, from President down.