King County WA Archives Biographies.....Casey, William T. 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/wa/wafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com January 11, 2011, 8:08 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 621 - 622
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     WILLIAM T. CASEY.  Portland has been the city of opportunity to William 
T. Casey, the founder and head of the Commercial Iron Works. He started at the 
bottom of the ladder and owes his advancement in the business world to hard 
work, tenacity of purpose and the wise use of the talents with which nature 
has endowed him. When a child he left his native town of Dennison, Ohio, and 
came to Oregon with his parents, James and Norah Casey, who settled in 
Portland in 1893. His father passed away in 1926 and the mother's demise 
occurred in 1914.

     William T. Casey was a pupil in the public schools of the Rose city and 
afterward continued his studies under the direction of the Young Men's 
Christian Association, attending the evening sessions, while his education was 
also furthered by a course in mechanical engineering with the International 
Correspondence Schools. His start in life was gained as a messenger boy for 
the American District Telegraph Company and his first practical experience as 
a sheet metal worker was acquired with the firm of Goldsmith & Lowenberg. From 
1897 until 1900 he worked in their plant and next entered the machine shop of 
the Willamette Iron & Steel Company. Conscientious and efficient, he was 
steadily promoted and eventually was placed in charge of their tractor plant. 
For fourteen years he remained with the corporation and in 1914 went to 
Seattle, Washington, as superintendent of the Seattle Astoria Iron Works. He 
filled the position for six months and on his return to Portland became 
connected with Hilser Machine Works. In 1916 he made his first independent 
venture, locating at East Seventh and East Madison streets, and employed one 
helper and a boy, Mr. Casey doing all of the machine work himself and the 
first month's business amounted to nine hundred and thirty dollars. Later he 
enlarged his quarters by erecting a small addition and in 1922 bought the 
building which he now occupies, situated at No. 380 East Stephens street and 
covering three-fourths of a city block, affording about thirty-five thousand 
square feet for manufacturing space. The plant, which consists of a machine 
shop and foundry, has every appliance for facilitating the work. The foundry 
has a capacity of three tons per day and the firm uses this chiefly for its 
own work. Business is not solicited and no salesmen are employed. The industry 
has been incorporated under the style of the Commercial Iron Works, of which 
Mr. Casey is the president, and in its control he manifests rare judgment as 
well as executive ability of a high order. In addition to repair work he 
manufactures machinery for hoisting, road building and other purposes and has 
his own designers. He specializes in marine work, which includes dry docking, 
painting and the general overhauling of ships, and uses the Port of Portland 
dry dock for this purpose. Mr. Casey does municipal, state and government 
work, employing about seventy experienced mechanics in his plant, and is now 
transacting a business which amounts to approximately four hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars annually. Starting on a small scale, he has developed this 
extensive industry within a period of twelve years, and under his expert 
guidance its continued expansion is assured. He closely supervises every 
detail of the business and no imperfect piece of work ever leaves his plant, 
which in equipment, efficiency of operation and quality of production is 
unsurpassed throughout the northwest.

     In 1905 Mr. Casey was married in Portland to Miss Clara Horton, by whom 
he has four children: Winston, Edward, Betty Jane and Genevieve. The 
corporation which Mr. Casey controls is connected with the State Chamber of 
Commerce, the Oregon Manufacturers Association and the United Metal Trades 
Association. He is a member of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the East Side 
Commercial Club and the Alderwood Country Club. In religious faith he is a 
Roman Catholic and his fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Columbus 
and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He takes a deep interest in all 
matters of public moment and through the creation of a large and important 
productive industry he has rendered service of value to his community, at the 
same time winning that prosperity which is the direct and legitimate reward of 
tireless effort and honorable dealing.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wa/king/bios/casey193gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wafiles/

File size: 5.0 Kb