Joseph "Diamond Jo" Reynolds
Joseph Reynolds | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Fallsburg, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 1891 (aged 71) Congress, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder of the Diamond Jo Line steamboat transportation enterprise |
Joseph Reynolds (June 11, 1819 – February 21, 1891) was a prominent American businessman known for founding the Diamond Jo Line, a steamboat transportation enterprise operating along the upper Mississippi River. His early ventures in upstate New York included managing a butcher shop, a general merchandise store, a grain mill, and a tannery.
Subsequently, Reynolds launched a successful leather-tanning enterprise in Chicago before transitioning into the grain trading sector within the upper Mississippi region. To enhance his shipping capabilities, he invested in steamboats and broadened his services to include freight transportation for various clients, ultimately expanding his fleet into what became the Diamond Jo Lines. Additionally, he played a key role in developing the Hot Springs Railroad in Arkansas. His enduring contributions include funding the University of Chicago’s Reynolds Club, initially designed as a clubhouse and now serving as a student union.
Early life
Born on June 11, 1819, in Fallsburg, New York to a Quaker household, Reynolds completed only elementary education. At age seventeen, he partnered with his brother Isaac to open a general store in Rockland, New York. He married Mary Morton from Sullivan County. While overseeing his mill operations, Reynolds acquired and expanded an adjacent tannery, transforming it into a lucrative leather production business.
Chicago
In 1855, Reynolds divested from his Rockland enterprises and moved to Chicago, where he established a tanning business on West Water Street. He traveled across Wisconsin and Minnesota to procure hides and furs. To differentiate his shipments from those of another Chicago trader named J. Reynolds, he marked his products with a "JO" enclosed within a diamond shape—earning him the moniker "Diamond Jo," notably spelled without an "e."
Grain trade
By 1860, Reynolds had sold his Chicago tannery and shifted focus to grain trading along the Mississippi River, relocating to McGregor, Iowa. At that period, the Minnesota Packet Company held exclusive transport rights on that river section but prioritized other clients, resulting in spoilage of Reynolds’ grain. To prevent such losses, he entered the steamboat industry in 1862 by commissioning the Lansing to manage grain shipments to the railhead at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. After selling the Lansing under an agreement with the Minnesota Packet Company to improve freight arrangements, Reynolds constructed a 242-ton sternwheeler named Diamond Jo along with two barges.
Transportation businesses
In 1862, Reynolds sold his fleet to the restructured Northwestern Packet Company and secured a three-year contract for shipping services. Confronting a grain shipping monopoly by 1866, he began reconstructing his own fleet. In 1867, he purchased barges and the 61.5-ton steamboat John C. Gault, followed in 1868 by acquiring three additional steamers and barges to establish the "Chicago, Fulton, and River Line." The company's identity shifted when the steamboat Diamond Jo joined in 1871, leading to its widespread recognition as the "Diamond Jo Line." Reynolds further expanded his operations by adding tugboats and barges and founded a shipyard near Dubuque, Iowa.
Extending service from St. Paul down to St. Louis, Reynolds increased cargo volume for external shippers. Around 1880, he invested in larger sternwheelers including Mary Morton (500 tons), Sidney (618 tons), and Pittsburg (722 tons), while continuing to operate smaller vessels upriver.
In April 1875, Reynolds commenced construction of the Hot Springs Railroad connecting Malvern, Arkansas with Hot Springs. This railway was occasionally referred to as the "Diamond Jo Line" due to its association with him.
Death and legacy
Joseph and Mary Reynolds had a single child, Blake, who was born in McGregor during their initial year in the town. Blake passed away in his late twenties, leading the Reynolds family to donate a fountain and park to McGregor as a tribute to his memory.
Reynolds succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 71 while staying at the Congress Mine in Congress, Arizona. His estate, free of any debts and estimated to be worth between $8 and $10 million, comprised real estate holdings, steam packets, grain elevators, and mining assets spread throughout Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Additionally, it included ownership of the 24-mile Hot Springs Railroad that linked Malvern, Arkansas with Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was laid to rest alongside his wife Mary Morton Reynolds and their son Blake at Mount Hope Cemetery in Chicago.
Reynolds provided a generous endowment to the University of Chicago for the construction of the Tudor-style Reynolds Club, which was completed in 1901 under the design of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. Initially planned as a library, the building also featured amenities such as a billiard room, bowling alley, theater, and supported a scholarship fund. As of 2017, it continues to function as a student union.
Following Mary Morton’s inheritance of the Diamond Jo Line, the company was taken over by a partnership led by her brother after her death in 1895. The steamboat fleet was eventually sold in 1911 to Streckfus Steamers.
The Diamond Jo Line is famously mentioned in W. C. Handy’s song Saint Louis Blues, underscoring its cultural significance.
See also
- The Joseph "Diamond Jo" Reynolds Office Building and House located in McGregor, Iowa, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Diamond Jo Boat Store and Office situated in Dubuque, Iowa.
External links
- Diamond Jo Line Online Steamboat Museum: Dave Thomson Gallery.