Harold Elstner Talbott Sr

After graduating from Woodward High School Harry earned a degree from the Engineering Division of the University of Cincinnati.He proceeded to work on the Engineering Staff of four Railroad Companies in succession. Relocating to Dayton,in 1892,he opened a Contracting Engineering Office to great success.A meeting with industialist Francis Clerque led to the two of them transforming large parts of Ontario,Canada.They built locks and dams and made it possible to reach two recently discovered iron rich deposits by extending a rail line to the Canadian Railroad transcontinental artery.It was in Canada that Harry began to build his empire with the construction of a power dam and several buildings for the Algoma Steel Corporation. In 1911 he went into the paper and pulp business first as President of the Lake Superior Paper Company and later with his involvement in The Spanish River Pulp and Paper Company and several others. Looking for new and better opportunities he joined the business world.He first became President of the City National Bank in Dayton.With his empire firmly establishing him as a mover and shaker in Dayton he did not rest on his laurels.There was more to come. He helped found two highly prosperous companies:The Dayton Metal Products Company and The Dayton-Wright Airplane Company.He founded these companies with his son Harold and Charles Kettering.One of the founders in Dayton-Wright was its namesake Orville Wright.Both these companies figured prominently in the war effort.The former created munitions and the latter airplanes for use in Europe in World War 1. He figured prominently in Dayton life.With John Patterson, he presented a request in 1907 to township trustees a petition requesting land for a village to be called Oakwood.The petition was granted and on 15 February 1908 Harry was elected Mayor.Another example was his effort in helping lead the cleanup effort after the flood of 1913 with Patterson again by his side.Dayton suffered much damage during the flood but his beloved Oakwood "the property that was 275 feet above Third and Main Streets" was spared.For said leadership Governor Cox of Ohio made him an honorary Colonel. In later years he was Director of both the Dayton Lighting Company and City National Bank. He was also President of both the Mead Pulp and Paper company and his engineering and contracting firm the H.E.Talbott Company.