John Insley Blair was an American entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men.
Early life
He was born at Foul Rift in White Township, New Jersey, just south of Belvidere. Blair's parents, John Blair and Rachel Insley, immigrated from Scotland; he was the fourth child of ten children. At the age of two the Blair family moved to a farm near Hope Township, New Jersey. As a youth, Blair displayed a keen interest in the acquisition of wealth. At the age of ten, he is reported to have told his mother, "I have seven brothers and three sisters. That's enough in the family to be educated. I am going to get rich." The young Blair began earning money by trapping wild rabbits and muskrats and selling their skins at a price of sixteen for a dollar. The next year, Blair began working at a general store owned by his cousin John, and at the age of seventeen he founded a store of his own with his cousin as an equal partner, located in the community of Butt's Bridge, New Jersey.
Career
On August 25, 1825, the name of the community was changed to Gravel Hill and Blair was appointed postmaster, a position he retained until July, 1851. Blair bought out his cousin's share of their store and expanded operations. By 1830, he owned five stores, each one run by one of his brothers. On January 23, 1839, Gravel Hill was officially renamed Blairstown, New Jersey in Blair's honor. Blair, either outright or jointly with others, owned Lackawanna Coal and Iron Company, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, and was president, director, or joint in more than 20 others. He established Blair, Nebraska by purchasing a tract of land in Nebraska on May 10, 1869 after the Sioux City and Pacific Rail Road chose to cross the Missouri river at that location. Blair managed his multimillion-dollar businesses from rural Blairstown, New Jersey, or from his private rail car upon which it was common for him to log annually. As president of 16 railroad companies, he amassed a fortune estimated at $70 million. Blair was the largest owner of rail mileage in the world. His religion as a Presbyterian and penchant for philanthropy led him to found more than 100 churches in close proximity to his railroads. In 1873, he was also an investor in the Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad, and the namesake of Blair, Wisconsin.
Personal life
On September 20, 1826, Blair was married to Nancy Ann Locke. Together, they were the parents of four children:
Emma Elizabeth Blair, who married prominent publisher Charles Scribner I.
DeWitt Clinton Blair, who continued businesses and expanded his father's philanthropy and had as his son, C. Ledyard Blair.
Aurelia Ann Blair, who married Clarence Green Mitchell.
He died in Blairstown, New Jersey on December 2, 1899.
Philanthropy, honors and legacy
The Episcopal bishop John Insley Blair Larned, was named after him. He founded Blair Academy in 1848, and helped to found Lafayette College and Grinnell College. At Princeton University, in Princeton, New Jersey, he endowed a geology professorship, first held by Arnold Henry Guyot. The endowed chair is the second oldest at the school; as of the start of the 2000-01 school year there were 172 such endowed chairs. He also served as trustee from 1866 until his death. In remarks at his installation as trustee, Blair noted that he had received little formal education and had spent most of his life as a businessman learning addition but that now "I have come to Princeton to learn subtraction." Blair provided funds to build Blair Hall, which was constructed in 1897 by Cope & Stewardson.
