Anson Green Phelps

American entrepreneur and business man

Anson Green Phelps (March 24, 1781 – May 18, 1858) was an American entrepreneur and business man from Connecticut. Beginning with a saddlery business, he founded Phelps, Dodge & Co. in 1833 as an export import business with his sons in law as partners, William E. Dodge in NYC and Daniel James based in Liverpool, England. His third son in law, James Boulter Stokes, became a partner some years later. Later in the 19th century after the senior Phelps' death (22 years), Phelps Dodge acquired mining interests and companies in the American West, and became known primarily as a mining company.

Anson Green Phelps was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, in 1781; his mother died when he was 12 years old. Afterward, he was raised in the house of the Congregational minister of Simsbury. Phelps was descended from the early American colonial governors of Connecticut, Thomas Dudley, John Haynes and George Wyllys. On October 13, 1799, he chose a relative, Thomas Woodbridge Phelps, as his guardian. On May 5, 1799, Thomas Woodbridge Phelps and Anson Green Phelps were admitted to the Congregational Church in South Canton, Connecticut, which was led by Reverend Jeremiah Hallock. In his early adulthood, Anson Phelps left Simsbury and settled in Hartford, Connecticut.

After moving to Hartford, Phelps began manufacturing saddles and shipping them to the South. His business grew rapidly. He had a large brick building constructed on North Main street, which became known as the "Phelps Block." In 1812 he moved to New York City and began doing business with Elisha Peck under the firm name of Phelps, Peck & Co. in the United States. In Liverpool, England, where Peck managed it, the firm was known as Peck, Phelps & Co. They dealt in metal imports from England including tin, tin plate, iron, and brass; and exported cotton from the South to the textile mills in England. Stokes was wealthy in his own right. During the 1837 financial crisis, he helped the Phelps, Dodge partnership through a difficult time with a loan. Phelps' business interests included banking, property, mining, ironworks, shipping, railroads and timber. After the split with Peck, some of these interests were divided between the two men. Others remained in joint partnership, including the New York property portfolio and shipping. Peck, who took over the rolling mill at Haverstraw, would continue to purchase raw materials from Phelps.

Phelps continued to be an active member of the Congregational Church, and he took an interest in a number of philanthropic causes. He contributed generously to the American Bible Society, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the American Home Missionary Society, the Colonization Society, the Blind Asylum of New York City, and served as the president of each at some point during his life. He also contributed to many other societies and charitable institutions both while he lived and through his estate. He gave his native town of Simsbury, Connecticut US$1000 to aid the poor. Among his other philanthropic activities was the creation of the Anson G. Phelps lecture series on early American history at New York University. In the 1830s, Phelps supported Presbyterian preacher Charles Grandison Finney during his ministry in New York. Phelps first hired a church for him in Vanderwater Street, and later purchased a church in Princes Street, near Broadway. Finney was "much struck with the piety of Mr Phelps", and said that Phelps would rise at night so that he could commune with God, having little time for secret devotion during the day, when business pressed him.

Phelps married Olivia Egleston, daughter of Elihu and Elizabeth Egleston, on 26 October 1806 at the age of 25. He and Olivia had nine children: Elizabeth, Melissa, Caroline Olivia (died in infancy), and Caroline, all born in Hartford; and Harriett, Anson Green Jr., Olivia Egleston, and Lydia Ann, all born in New York City. His grandsons included Anson Phelps Stokes and William Earl Dodge Stokes. His great grandson, Anson Phelps Stokes, became a well known philanthropist. In 1835 Phelps purchased the house of Henry A. Coster and added land to extend the property from Third Avenue to the East River, and from Twenty ninth to half way between Thirty third and Thirty fourth streets.