Seymour H. Knox I

Birth Name:

Seymour Horace Knox

Birth Date:

April 11, 1861

Birth Place:

Russell, New York

Death Date:

May 17, 1915

Place of Death:

1045 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York

Age:

Cause of Death:

Uremic coma

Cemetery Name:

Forest Lawn Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Business and Finance

Associates:

Frank Winfield Woolworth

Seymour Knox was a Buffalo, New York businessman who made his fortune in five-and-dime stores. He merged his more than 100 stores with those of his first cousins, Frank Winfield Woolworth and Charles Woolworth, to form the F. W. Woolworth Company. In fact, by the time of the 1911 incorporation of F. W. Woolworth Company, Knox was the second largest of six store operators with 98 U.S. and 13 Canadian locations. In 1912, he received $12 million of the $65 million merger proceeds and was appointed Director and Senior Vice-Principal of the Corporation. Knox is remembered as the pioneering city center store operator. His Detroit, Michigan store was the first outside of the agricultural and small-market towns. Many of the Woolworth friendly rivals emulated his plan

Fun Facts

After Seymour Knox death, his wife built a new mansion on Delaware Avenue for her and their children, designed by New York City architect C. P. H. Gilbert, known today as the Mrs. Seymour H. Knox House.

Seymour Knox was the father of Seymour H. Knox II and grandfather of Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup Knox, the co-founders of the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League.

Seymour Knox loved a good mansion and lived in 4 during his life time. The addresses of those mansions in the order they lived in Buffalo, New York are 414 Porter Avenue, 467 Linwood, 1049 Delaware Avenue (now 1035) and 806 Delaware Avenue.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Forest Lawn Cemetery

1990 Main Road

Buffalo, New York, 14208

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York

Grave Location:

Knox Mausoleum, Section 23, Lot 2, Niche 4

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery follow the white line in the road until you get to Mirror Lake which borders Section 23. Drive around Section 23 until you see the 4-pillored Knox mausoleum on Mausoleum Row.

Grave Location GPS

42.9258402, -78.8624366

Photos:

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Videos Featuring Seymour H. Knox I:

Seymore Horace Knox Prominent People of Buffalo Episode 3; - Buffalo Happy Hour (ep. 67)

The History of Woolworth - The Rise and Decline of the F.W. Woolworth Company

F. W. Woolworth - Life in America

The Decline of Woolworth...What Happened?

Woolworths Family Documentary

See More:

Walter Knott

popular name: Walter Knott

date_of_death: December 3, 1981

age: 91

cause_of_death: Parkinson's disease

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Walter Knott was an American farmer who created the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California. In the 1920s, Walter Knott was a somewhat unsuccessful farmer, whose fortunes changed when he nursed several abandoned berry plants back to health. The hybrid boysenberry, named after its creator, Rudolph Boysen, was a cross between a blackberry, red raspberry and loganberry. The huge berries were a hit, and the Knott family sold berries, preserves and pies from a Buena Park, California roadside stand. In 1934, Knott's wife Cordelia (née Hornaday, January 23, 1890 – April 12, 1974) began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from Old West towns. Even after Disneyland opened in 1955 a mere 8 miles away, Knott's Berry Farm continued to thrive. Walt Disney and Walter Knott are rumored to have had a cordial relationship; it is known that they each visited the other's park, and they were both members of the original planning council for Children's Hospital of Orange County. Early additions to the farm included a narrow gauge railroad, a San Francisco cable car, a Pan-for-Gold attraction, the Calico Mine Train dark ride and a log flume ride. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park. Because of his interest in American pioneer history, Knott purchased and restored the real silver mining ghost town of Calico, California in 1951. As a child Walter spent a lot of time in Calico living with his uncle. During World War I he helped to build a silver mill in Calico. This period in his life influenced his decision to buy the town and restore it. In 1966, he deeded Calico to San Bernardino County, California. Walter remained active in the operation of Knott's Berry Farm until the death of Cordelia in 1974, leaving day-to-day park operations to his children.