Traveling the Calvin Munson route. He was brother to my 4GG, Freeman Munson. Several generations down, lies Clifford Benjamin Paul, noted photographer and chauffeur to Katherine Butterworth, daughter of Charles Deere, son of John Deere. Yes, John Deere, of John Deere Tractor Co.
Clifford was born 14 Feb 1892 in Canton, Illinois. He married Hulda Holm on 17 Jul 1916 in Moline, Illinois, where they resided. They had two children, Ethel Paul Armstrong and Maj Robert Lorin Paul.
Clifford was a noted photographer, who participated heavily in the art world in Moline and exhibited and sold his works for decades.
Now, we switch gears to John Deere, a young man who was struggling in his native Vermont, and relocated in 1836 to Illinois to find his way. His blacksmithing skills were much needed and he thrived. According to John Deere history, the settlers in Illinois found "breaking" land an arduous task. He developed a new kind of plow capable of the tough task. He was able to make 100 plows a year by 1841, and in 1843, he partnered with a fellow to produce more plows. That partnership ended in 1848 and that's when he relocated to Moline, Illinois for its water, coal and cheaper transportation. A legend was born as were several new tools for agriculture.
His son Charles Deere took over the operations of the family business and took over as President and Chairman after John Deere's death. Charles and his wife had two daughters, Katherine and Anna.
Charles built homes for both and both were located on Millionaire's Row. Anna went on to marry William Wiman, son of a successful NYC business man and who was in his own right, quite a catch. He was formerly an electrical engineer who was previously an apprentice to Thomas Edison and later worked for John Deere Co. Their son Charles would later become president of John Deere and son Dwight Deere Wiman would become a silent movie actor, playwright, and theater producer.
Katherine married William Butterworth, son of a former US Congressman, and an attorney and businessman. Butterworth would become President of John Deere after the death of Katherine's father, Charles. They would have no children, but were philanthropic to their community. Under Butterworth's watch, the business expanded with the purchase of The Waterloo Gasoline Engine Works, which included it's Waterloo Boy Tractor in 1918. This greatly expanded Deere's business and contributed to the growth and prosperity of Waterloo, Iowa (I live in Cedar Falls, an adjoining town - and while growing up just about everybody's dad I knew either worked for Deere or worked for a company that did something for Deere).
The couples would spend their winters in Santa Barbara, California, but return to Illinois for the summers. The Butterworth home in Santa Barbara is considered one of the most beautiful of the old homes still in existence there. Personal employees would make the trek with them each season. Among those was Clifford Paul.
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| Hillcrest, the Butterworth Residence |
The Butterworths were well-known for taking good care of their servants. The former residence is now an arts and education center.
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| The servant's entrance at Hillcrest |
For 39 years, his "day job" was as chauffeur to Katherine Deere Butterworth. William Butterworth died in 1936. She left an estate of over $6 million at her death in 1953.
Paul retired after Katherine's death and lived his last years in Santa Barbara, dying there 12 May 1960.
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| Hillcrest's carriage house - once home to the Butterworth's horse and carriages and later home to its automobiles. It is now the education building at the Butterworth Center |
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