William was born in Hessle, then Yorkshire, now Humberside, England, the oldest child of James William and Maria (Sleight) Baxter. He came to the US in 1850 with his parents and 4 siblings. The family wanted to own land and that luxury was not available to most people in England. They had with them enough money to buy 20 acres of land in Newburgh Twp. When William was a teenager he spent his summers in Syracuse, NY, earning money by leading mules along the canal. Over time he earned enough for his father to buy 30 more acres.
He later had some kind of position in the rolling mill in the area because he was present at the rolling of the first railroad rails which came out of that plant. He later owned a cigar store and newsstand at the corner of East 55th and the other street escapes me where he also sold steamship tickets and sundries. The area was becoming quite a mixture of nationalities with the influx of people from Europed coming for jobs, especially people of Polish descent. As our immigrants today, the men came and sent money back to their wives to accumulate for the passage for the family (this was in the 1880s). William told them that this was the greatest nation the world had ever known and he believed that a man should have his family with him. He began to sell the men steamship tickets on time so that their families could come immediately. He apparently didn't lose any money doing this. William was the Republican ward representative for that ward and it later was said that "Billy" Baxter had the votes of Newburgh in his pocket.
He was married to Carrie Burke Morgan who died in 1942 and is buried in Brecksville Cemetery.
He later had some kind of position in the rolling mill in the area because he was present at the rolling of the first railroad rails which came out of that plant. He later owned a cigar store and newsstand at the corner of East 55th and the other street escapes me where he also sold steamship tickets and sundries. The area was becoming quite a mixture of nationalities with the influx of people from Europed coming for jobs, especially people of Polish descent. As our immigrants today, the men came and sent money back to their wives to accumulate for the passage for the family (this was in the 1880s). William told them that this was the greatest nation the world had ever known and he believed that a man should have his family with him. He began to sell the men steamship tickets on time so that their families could come immediately. He apparently didn't lose any money doing this. William was the Republican ward representative for that ward and it later was said that "Billy" Baxter had the votes of Newburgh in his pocket.
He was married to Carrie Burke Morgan who died in 1942 and is buried in Brecksville Cemetery.
William was born in Hessle, then Yorkshire, now Humberside, England, the oldest child of James William and Maria (Sleight) Baxter. He came to the US in 1850 with his parents and 4 siblings. The family wanted to own land and that luxury was not available to most people in England. They had with them enough money to buy 20 acres of land in Newburgh Twp. When William was a teenager he spent his summers in Syracuse, NY, earning money by leading mules along the canal. Over time he earned enough for his father to buy 30 more acres.
He later had some kind of position in the rolling mill in the area because he was present at the rolling of the first railroad rails which came out of that plant. He later owned a cigar store and newsstand at the corner of East 55th and the other street escapes me where he also sold steamship tickets and sundries. The area was becoming quite a mixture of nationalities with the influx of people from Europed coming for jobs, especially people of Polish descent. As our immigrants today, the men came and sent money back to their wives to accumulate for the passage for the family (this was in the 1880s). William told them that this was the greatest nation the world had ever known and he believed that a man should have his family with him. He began to sell the men steamship tickets on time so that their families could come immediately. He apparently didn't lose any money doing this. William was the Republican ward representative for that ward and it later was said that "Billy" Baxter had the votes of Newburgh in his pocket.
He was married to Carrie Burke Morgan who died in 1942 and is buried in Brecksville Cemetery.
He later had some kind of position in the rolling mill in the area because he was present at the rolling of the first railroad rails which came out of that plant. He later owned a cigar store and newsstand at the corner of East 55th and the other street escapes me where he also sold steamship tickets and sundries. The area was becoming quite a mixture of nationalities with the influx of people from Europed coming for jobs, especially people of Polish descent. As our immigrants today, the men came and sent money back to their wives to accumulate for the passage for the family (this was in the 1880s). William told them that this was the greatest nation the world had ever known and he believed that a man should have his family with him. He began to sell the men steamship tickets on time so that their families could come immediately. He apparently didn't lose any money doing this. William was the Republican ward representative for that ward and it later was said that "Billy" Baxter had the votes of Newburgh in his pocket.
He was married to Carrie Burke Morgan who died in 1942 and is buried in Brecksville Cemetery.
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