Olcott, William James

1862 - 1935  (72 years)

• Name	Olcott, William James
  Birth	22 Feb 1862	Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	1935	Arizona, USA   [1]
  Death	25 Apr 1935	Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA
  	LDS
  biography	Bio by: Stories Among The Stones, findagrave
  	20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude: -92.07035 Plot Olcott Mausoleum Memorial ID 273180574 · Photos 7 Flowers 1 Added by The Silent Majority Added by Mudlark William James Olcott was an American mining and railroad executive who played a central role in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range and the industrial growth of United States Steel. He was born on February 22, 1862, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Harlow and Elizabeth Olcott. Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, he attended school in Marquette and studied mining engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also captained the football team in 1882 and 1883. After graduating in 1884, Olcott began his career as an engineer at the Chapin Mine on the Menominee Range. His skill and leadership advanced him rapidly through the industry. By the early 1890s he was superintendent of several mines near Ironwood, and later became general superintendent of the Lake Superior Consolidated Mines on the Mesabi Range, where he managed major iron ore properties that later became part of United States Steel. In 1897 he joined the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as vice president and was elevated to president in 1901. Under his direction the line became one of the most important ore carriers on the Great Lakes, linking the mines of northern Minnesota with the docks of Lake Superior. In 1909 he was appointed president of the Oliver Iron Mining Company, the U.S. Steel subsidiary that operated the corporation's iron ore holdings in Michigan and Minnesota. He held that position until 1928, overseeing an organization employing tens of thousands of miners and workers. His management shaped the modern industrial structure of the Lake Superior iron region. Olcott was widely respected for his attention to worker welfare and community life. He and his wife, Fannie Bailey Olcott, donated land for public parks and established the Fannie Bailey Olcott Lodge for the wives of Oliver employees, later given to the Girl Scouts. The city of Virginia, Minnesota, named Olcott Park in his honor, and he endowed scholarships in mining engineering at the University of Michigan. His name was also given to the Great Lakes freighter William J. Olcott. He retired to Pasadena, California, where he spent his later years in travel and family life. William J. Olcott died there on April 29, 1935, at the age of seventy-three. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. Bio by: Stories Among The Stones Family Members Parents Harlow Olcott 1821–1901 Elizabeth Fifield Olcott 1828–1878 Spouse Fannie Bailey Olcott 1866–1928 (m. 1887) Siblings Amelia Ford Olcott 1852–1910 Charles Harlow Olcott 1859–1887 Children Dorothy Olcott Gates 1891–1984 Flowers Left by Stories Among The Stones on 9 Nov 2025
  FSID	9F4M-Z1J
  Name	William J. Olcott  [1]
  Occupation	an American mining and railroad executive who played a central role in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range and the industrial growth of United States Steel.
  	20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude: -92.07035 Plot Olcott Mausoleum Memorial ID 273180574 · Photos 7 Flowers 1 Added by The Silent Majority Added by Mudlark William James Olcott was an American mining and railroad executive who played a central role in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range and the industrial growth of United States Steel. He was born on February 22, 1862, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Harlow and Elizabeth Olcott. Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, he attended school in Marquette and studied mining engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also captained the football team in 1882 and 1883. After graduating in 1884, Olcott began his career as an engineer at the Chapin Mine on the Menominee Range. His skill and leadership advanced him rapidly through the industry. By the early 1890s he was superintendent of several mines near Ironwood, and later became general superintendent of the Lake Superior Consolidated Mines on the Mesabi Range, where he managed major iron ore properties that later became part of United States Steel. In 1897 he joined the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as vice president and was elevated to president in 1901. Under his direction the line became one of the most important ore carriers on the Great Lakes, linking the mines of northern Minnesota with the docks of Lake Superior. In 1909 he was appointed president of the Oliver Iron Mining Company, the U.S. Steel subsidiary that operated the corporation's iron ore holdings in Michigan and Minnesota. He held that position until 1928, overseeing an organization employing tens of thousands of miners and workers. His management shaped the modern industrial structure of the Lake Superior iron region. Olcott was widely respected for his attention to worker welfare and community life. He and his wife, Fannie Bailey Olcott, donated land for public parks and established the Fannie Bailey Olcott Lodge for the wives of Oliver employees, later given to the Girl Scouts. The city of Virginia, Minnesota, named Olcott Park in his honor, and he endowed scholarships in mining engineering at the University of Michigan. His name was also given to the Great Lakes freighter William J. Olcott. He retired to Pasadena, California, where he spent his later years in travel and family life. William J. Olcott died there on April 29, 1935, at the age of seventy-three. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. Bio by: Stories Among The Stones Family Members Parents Harlow Olcott 1821–1901 Elizabeth Fifield Olcott 1828–1878 Spouse Fannie Bailey Olcott 1866–1928 (m. 1887) Siblings Amelia Ford Olcott 1852–1910 Charles Harlow Olcott 1859–1887 Children Dorothy Olcott Gates 1891–1984 Flowers Left by Stories Among The Stones on 9 Nov 2025
  Burial	Duluth, St Louis, Minnesota, USA   [1]
  Person ID	I112776	WETZEL-SPRING

  
  

  Father	Olcott, Harlow /Alcott
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Fifield, Elizabeth
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F63539	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Bailey, Fannie,   b. 23 Aug 1866, Clayton, Jefferson, New York, USA d. 21 Apr 1928, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	26 Dec 1887	Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, USA
  	20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude: -92.07035 Plot Olcott Mausoleum Memorial ID 273180574 · Photos 7 Flowers 1 Added by The Silent Majority Added by Mudlark William James Olcott was an American mining and railroad executive who played a central role in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range and the industrial growth of United States Steel. He was born on February 22, 1862, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Harlow and Elizabeth Olcott. Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, he attended school in Marquette and studied mining engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also captained the football team in 1882 and 1883. After graduating in 1884, Olcott began his career as an engineer at the Chapin Mine on the Menominee Range. His skill and leadership advanced him rapidly through the industry. By the early 1890s he was superintendent of several mines near Ironwood, and later became general superintendent of the Lake Superior Consolidated Mines on the Mesabi Range, where he managed major iron ore properties that later became part of United States Steel. In 1897 he joined the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as vice president and was elevated to president in 1901. Under his direction the line became one of the most important ore carriers on the Great Lakes, linking the mines of northern Minnesota with the docks of Lake Superior. In 1909 he was appointed president of the Oliver Iron Mining Company, the U.S. Steel subsidiary that operated the corporation's iron ore holdings in Michigan and Minnesota. He held that position until 1928, overseeing an organization employing tens of thousands of miners and workers. His management shaped the modern industrial structure of the Lake Superior iron region. Olcott was widely respected for his attention to worker welfare and community life. He and his wife, Fannie Bailey Olcott, donated land for public parks and established the Fannie Bailey Olcott Lodge for the wives of Oliver employees, later given to the Girl Scouts. The city of Virginia, Minnesota, named Olcott Park in his honor, and he endowed scholarships in mining engineering at the University of Michigan. His name was also given to the Great Lakes freighter William J. Olcott. He retired to Pasadena, California, where he spent his later years in travel and family life. William J. Olcott died there on April 29, 1935, at the age of seventy-three. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. Bio by: Stories Among The Stones Family Members Parents Harlow Olcott 1821–1901 Elizabeth Fifield Olcott 1828–1878 Spouse Fannie Bailey Olcott 1866–1928 (m. 1887) Siblings Amelia Ford Olcott 1852–1910 Charles Harlow Olcott 1859–1887 Children Dorothy Olcott Gates 1891–1984 Flowers Left by Stories Among The Stones on 9 Nov 2025
  Children	1. Olcott, Dorothy,   b. 20 Jun 1891, Bessemer, Gogebic, Michigan, USA d. 29 Jan 1984, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA (Age 92 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Olcott, Elizabeth,   b. 14 Oct 1892, Ironwood, Gogebic, Michigan, USA d. 16 Apr 1981, San Diego County, California, USA (Age 88 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F63538	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 22 Feb 1862 - Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA Marriage - 26 Dec 1887 - Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, USA Death - 1935 - Arizona, USA Death - LDS - 25 Apr 1935 - Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA Burial - - Duluth, St Louis, Minnesota, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Olcott, Wm James fag_ 20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude:…

  
  

• Sources

  [S1115] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;). Record for William J. Olcott (5) facts 20251226GHLn- 20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude: -92.07035 Plot Olcott Mausoleum Memorial ID 273180574 · Photos 7 Flowers 1 Added by The Silent Majority Added by Mudlark William James Olcott was an American mining and railroad executive who played a central role in the development of the Mesabi Iron Range and the industrial growth of United States Steel. He was born on February 22, 1862, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Harlow and Elizabeth Olcott. Raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, he attended school in Marquette and studied mining engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also captained the football team in 1882 and 1883. After graduating in 1884, Olcott began his career as an engineer at the Chapin Mine on the Menominee Range. His skill and leadership advanced him rapidly through the industry. By the early 1890s he was superintendent of several mines near Ironwood, and later became general superintendent of the Lake Superior Consolidated Mines on the Mesabi Range, where he managed major iron ore properties that later became part of United States Steel. In 1897 he joined the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as vice president and was elevated to president in 1901. Under his direction the line became one of the most important ore carriers on the Great Lakes, linking the mines of northern Minnesota with the docks of Lake Superior. In 1909 he was appointed president of the Oliver Iron Mining Company, the U.S. Steel subsidiary that operated the corporation's iron ore holdings in Michigan and Minnesota. He held that position until 1928, overseeing an organization employing tens of thousands of miners and workers. His management shaped the modern industrial structure of the Lake Superior iron region. Olcott was widely respected for his attention to worker welfare and community life. He and his wife, Fannie Bailey Olcott, donated land for public parks and established the Fannie Bailey Olcott Lodge for the wives of Oliver employees, later given to the Girl Scouts. The city of Virginia, Minnesota, named Olcott Park in his honor, and he endowed scholarships in mining engineering at the University of Michigan. His name was also given to the Great Lakes freighter William J. Olcott. He retired to Pasadena, California, where he spent his later years in travel and family life. William J. Olcott died there on April 29, 1935, at the age of seventy-three. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, Minnesota. Bio by: Stories Among The Stones Family Members Parents Harlow Olcott 1821–1901 Elizabeth Fifield Olcott 1828–1878 Spouse Fannie Bailey Olcott 1866–1928 (m. 1887) Siblings Amelia Ford Olcott 1852–1910 Charles Harlow Olcott 1859–1887 Children Dorothy Olcott Gates 1891–1984 Flowers Left by Stories Among The Stones on 9 Nov 2025 Olcott, Wm James fag_ 20251226GHLn- William James Olcott Photo added by Stories Among The Stones William James Olcott Birth 22 Feb 1862 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA Death 29 Apr 1935 (aged 73) Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA Burial Forest Hill Cemetery Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, USA GPS- Latitude: 46.8357102, Longitude:…

  
  

TEST MARKER

TNG ID: I112776

FSID: 9F4M-Z1J