My Genealogy Hound

EDWARD C. GWYN, President of the Board of Trustees of the Springfield Water Works, occupies a high position in connection with one of the most important enterprises in this city. The Board in selecting their President knew with whom they were dealing, as Mr. Gwyn is a native of Springfield and has here spent the greater part of his life. He was born August 12, 1851, and is thus on the sunny side of forty, but he is a man of more than ordinary capacities and is thoroughly qualified for the duties of his position.

Mr. Gwyn is a representative of an excellent family, being the son of Edward Gwyn who was born in the city of London, England, May 12, 1816. The paternal grandfather, John Gwyn, also of English birth and ancestry, emigrated to the United States in 1859, following his son Edward who had crossed the Atlantic in 1847. The latter in due time was married in London, England, to Miss Isabella Turnbull; after landing in New York they at once removed to Wood County, Ohio, and settled upon a tract of wild land which the father secured from the Government. That section of the country was then comparatively a wilderness and much sickness abounded among the settlers which finally resulted in the removal of Mr. Gwyn to Cincinnati. Later he removed to Dayton and from there to Springfield, where he operated as a contractor and builder of gas and water works. He became well-to-do, owning at one time as many as seven gas plants. He was the founder of the gas works in Springfield which he operated for a number of years.

Edward Gwyn during the late war engaged in the manufacture of small arms, among these being the celebrated Union rifle. He associated himself in partnership with Abner C. Campbell of Hamilton, this State, in the manufacture of guns and for several years was the representative of the Champion Reaper & Mower Works at Springfield, going to South America and Chili where he established agencies to handle these machines. Later he represented the firm during the centennial exposition of 1876 at Philadelphia. He crossed the Atlantic the following season and visited the Paris Exposition in the interests of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner, and afterward went to Rotterdam, Holland, where his death took place May, 25, 1879. He had traveled extensively all over Europe before coming to this country.

In 1857 the father of our subject, during the California gold excitement, went overland to the Pacific Slope, making the journey by wagon and on foot with a company of others and returning by the water route. His wife accompanied him in most of his travels and was with him at the time of his death. She returned to Springfield with his remains which were laid to rest in Ferncliff Cemetery. The mother and five children are still living; Amelia, the eldest, is the widow of Thomas Spencer and lives in Springfield; Rosa is the widow of George W. Driscoll and lives in Springfield; Edward C., our subject, is the next eldest; Mary is the wife of W. W. Sheibley of Tiffin, this State; Violet married D. B. Hyde and they are living in Bridgeport, Conn.

The subject of this notice spent his boyhood days mostly in Hamilton, Butler County, this State, and when leaving school became the assistant of his father in the gas and water works in different places and when competent, took charge of the works at Springfield. He was also for a time at Dayton, Norwalk and Altoona, Pa. Subsequently, returning to Springfield he engaged in the wood and lumber business for a few years, handling mostly the choicer grades of lumber. Later he became connected with the gas works at Upper Sandusky and in 1881 assisted in establishing the water works in Springfield and for six months was Superintendent of construction. He resigned this position to accept the Secretaryship and Assistant Superintendency of the Springfield Gas Light Company, of which his father was the founder. This position he also resigned four years later, having in the meantime become interested as a stockholder in the Hoppes Manufacturing Company of which he was made Secretary and Treasurer. At the organization of the Springfield Water Works, in June, 1885, he was elected President and has since held the position.

Mr. Gwyn was married to his present wife, who was formerly Miss Isabel W. Smith, September 1, 1887. This lady was born November 1, 1863, in Springfield, and is the daughter of William R. and Mary (Ege) Smith, natives of Scotland and Pennsylvania respectively and who are now living in Springfield. She was reared to womanhood in her native city and thus like her husband has spent her entire life there. Of this union there has been born one child, a son, Charles William, July 6, 1888.