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Head of the Well Known Firm of Miller Sons Brief Sketch of His Career, Which Has Been a Successful One. ’Tis not in mortals to command suc cess. But we’ll do more, Sempronius we'll deserve it.’’—Addison. How true is the above quotation is shown in the life, labor and character of W. H. Miller, one of our city’s most enterprising, energetic and en thusiastic citizens, for the welfare of the community, for the improvement of local conditions and for the benefit of both city and county. His life amongst us has not been as a path of roses, but in his earlier years it was one of arduous labor and in its course has had many difficulties to sur mount. During those years, how ever, he became imbued with these true principles that form the best of foundations—right living, good character, reliability and sincerity. Upon such a foundation the young men of Madison are as sure of ob taining success as has been secured by Mr. Miller, and which, by the way, cannot be attributed to being a ‘‘fa vored son,’’ but by his own individ uality. Mr. Miller was born at Warsaw, Illinois, in 1858, receiving his educa tion in the common schools and the Lutheran German school of that city, and came to this city in the fall of 1878. His first work was on the river as an engineer’s apprentice. In 1880 he was married to Miss Jen nie Knowles, and in 1881 he quit the river and worked for a while at the marine ways and also as a machinist at the Walch Foundry. For three and one-half years he was employed at the Clements Starch Works and also at the Eagle Cotton Mill as engi neer for a short time. As stated above this business was established in 1886 in a very small way, but through hard word and energy and strict attention to the business Mr. Miller and his sons have increased it until now it is one of the largest in its line in Southern Indiana. They are wholesale and retail dealers in lumber, lath, shingles, sash and doors and all kinds of building ma terial, builders’ hardware, paint, oil, varnish, glass, etc., and are car-load lot handlers of steel and composition roofings, plaster board, cement and lime. In connection they operate a mod ern up-to-date mill, equipped with the latest and best machinery, where they make doors and frames and other mill work, and do custom mill work of all descriptions. Mr. Miller commenced in the lum ber business in 1886, and it has been in this that the principles upon which his life was founded have proven the correct ones, for he has been suc cessful ever since he started and has improved and beautified the grounds upon which his various plants are lo cated, for they were but a commons before he took posession of them. Some years ago Mr. Miller took his sons into the business with him and the firm was known as W. H. Miller Sons, and a few years later the business was incorporated, the mem bers of the corporation being W. H. Miller and his three sons, J. C. Mil ler, Earl F. Miller and Dean L. Mil ler. Their plant is a very large one, it having a frontage of one hundred feet on West Main street and running clear through to West Second street, where it has a frontage of eighty-five feet, nearly all of which is covered with offices, commodions and neat buildings, in which are stored the various lines of goods that the firm handles. In addition to this they have a large storage yard for lumber ond the switch at the west end of First street and north of the former Johnson starch works, and a warehouse for storage purposes, in all covering one acre. This yard and warehouse being directly on the railroad switch enables them to load and unload to and from the cars without any unnec essary handling. Mr. Miller has been in business here for so many years that he is well and favorably known in this section of the country, (and his sons having inheri ted the fine business qualfications and integrity of their size,) and in conse quence the business of the firm has steadily increased each year until now it enjoys a very large patronage Since the admission of his sons into the business Mr. Miller has become interested in other channels of mer cantile and agricultural lines in which he has also met with success. He is one of the Vice Presidents and a member of the Board of Directors of Madison Safe Deposit and Trust Com pany and has a handsome suburban residence on a fine farm pleasantly lo cated at the intersection of the Hano ver and Kent roads, at the top of the Hanover hill. He has of late become interested in thoroughbred stock and has some of the finest in this section of the country on his place. He is President of the Citizens’ Buiding Association and takes deep interest in its affairs, and is also one of the Di rectors of the Commercial Club and is at all times an active factor at its business meetings. In matters pertaining to city and county affairs Mr. Miller’s advice is much sought after, for he keeps well posted in regard to both, and he is al ways among the foremost to advocate anything which he believes will ben efit and improve the county and city in which he has made his home for so many years. Success has crowned his efforts and he deserves it.
Newspaper Details
Madison Daily Herald
Madison, Indiana, US
Mon, Jan 10, 1916
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 17 Jul 2026
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